ABS Oldsmobile Aurora 1997 Owner's Manuals

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 faster
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
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
LOCK
ANT‘- (@)
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
4-7

Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front
of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with
ABS
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work
the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster
than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most
of available tire and
road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-8

Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying
to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The
three types of skids correspond to your Aurora’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In
the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid. If
your traction control system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always
be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, Ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want
to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface’’
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-15

But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
5. Release the regular brakes.
brake,
and then shift to PARK
(P).
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you
find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea
to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-38

- , . .. .‘,. .
6. Remove the air filter. 5. Unsnap the two clamps by pushing down on
the top
of the air cleaner cover and pushing in on the
clamps toward the center
of the cover. Then remove
the cover. 7. Install the new air filter and reverse all steps to
reinstall the cover, electrical wires, duct and clamp.
Be sure
the tabs of the air cleaner cover fit into the
slots
of the air cleaner housing. Then make sure both
clamps are
fully engaged.
Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace the air filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
6- 17

1. Buckle the center passenger position safety belt, and
then route the safety belts through the proper
slots in
the seat cushion. Don’t let the safety belt get twisted.
2. Slide the rear of the cushion up and under the
seatback
so the rear locating guides hook into the
wire loops
on the back frame.
3. With the seat cushion lowered, push rearward and
then press down on the seat cushion until the spring
locks on both ends engage.
4. Check to make sure the safety belts are properly
routed and that no portion
of any safety belt is
trapped under the seat.
Also make sure the seat
cushion
is secured.
Rear Compartment Fuse Blocks
V“
7- ?
d
Once the seat is removed,
you’ll find two fuse panels
on the driver’s side
of the
battery. Each is protected by
a plastic box with four tabs.
Pull
up on all four tabs at
the same time to loosen
them and pull off the box.
Of these two panels, the cover on the passenger’s side
fuse panel has an extra plastic cap attachment. You’ll
need to slide this out of the grooves which hold it there
before removing the rest
of the box.
To replace the covers, line the four tabs up and simply
snap them back into place. The extra plastic cap
attachment slides back into place.
6-67

ENGINE COMPARTMENT
FUSE BLOCK
1 HORN
COOLING
FAN #2
COOLING
FAN #3
E
4
Fuse
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Usage
Air Conditioning Center
Open
Open
Horn
Open
Fog Lamp
2
Cooling Fan #2
Cooling Fan #3
Cooling Fan
ABS Main
ABS Pump Motor
Fog Lamp
Horn
Open