tow Oldsmobile Aurora 1997 Owner's Manuals

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
The power seat controls are located on the driver’s and
passenger’s door panels.
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.
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 reclining front seatback
rearward by moving the button toward the rear of the
vehicle. Move the seatback forward by movine
the
button toward the front of the vehicle.
1-2

What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. The sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which
inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger.
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. Air bags supplement 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
those
air bags. 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 an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, 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 parts of the bag that come
into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to
touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from
vents in the deflated
air bags. Air bag inflation doesn’t
prevent the driver from seeing or from being able to steer the vehicle, nor does 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.
1-23

Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained
in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
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.
1-44

See your Aurora retailer or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
I1 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 CCBreak-InSS
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:
Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow -- for the first 500 miles (805 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.
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in. See
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index for
more information.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
2-20

Ignition Positions
C
D
1 I
A E
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions:
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.
ACCESSORY (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.
2-21

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 betwcsn 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.
2-23

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.
‘ A CAUTION:
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.
2-25

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 RUN. If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the
shift lever all the way into PARK
(P) 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
“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.
2-26

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
e 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
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a). Here
are some times you might choose THIRD
(3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a):
When driving on hilly, winding roads,
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears,
or
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power
but lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(@) or THIRD (3). 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.
I 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.
2-27

If you try to drive with the parking brake on, the parkin
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.
NOTICE:
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 (P)
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.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake by pushing down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot.
2-29