brake Oldsmobile Aurora 1998 s User Guide

Running Your Engine While
You’re
P-_- I-ed
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are
some things to know.
A
/L CA 7ON:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
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.)
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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.

Windshield Washer Cruise Control
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.
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.
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 ludh).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
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

.... .. . .. . ..
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
RES/ACC (Resume/Accelerate) briefly to reset. This
returns you to your desired preset speed. Remember,
if you hold the switch at RES/ACC briefly,
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 RES/ACC.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
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.
01;
0 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 briefly
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.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button briefly. 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.
Exterior Lamps
Headlamps
See “Turn SignalMultifunction 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.
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Battery Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you start the
vehicle, as a check to show
VOLTS
you it is working, then it
should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
A warning chime and the message CHECK CHARGE
SYSTEM may also come on. Have it checked right
away. Driving while this light
is on could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and climate control.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one
part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
This light should come on
when you turn the ignition
BRAKE (o>
key to-START. If it doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem. FLUID
If this warning light stays on after you start the engine,
there could be a brake problem. Have your brake system
inspected right away.

If the light and chime come on while you are driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer
to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light
is on. Driving with the
i brake warning light on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the
road and stopped carefully, have the vehicle
towed for service.
Parking Brake Indicator Light
When the ignition is on,
PARK
this light will come on when
you set your parking brake.
The light will stay
on if
your parking brake doesn’t
release fully.
If you try to drive off with the parking brake set,
a chime will also come on until you release the
parking brake.
This light should also come on when you turn the
ignition key to
START. If it doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed
so it will be ready to remind you if the parking
brake hasn’t released fully.

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when you start
on for several seconds.
LOCK ANT’ - (@)
your engine and may stay
I I That’s normal.
Traction Control System Warning Light
TRACTION
OFF
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to
OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service.
If the regular brake system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System
Warning Light” earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there
is a problem. If
the warning light doesn’t corne on then, have it fixed
so it
will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem. If it
stays
on, or comes on when you’re driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system and your
vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is
on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
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The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
a
a
e
If you turn the system off by pressing the
TRACTION CONTROL button located on the
center console, the warning light will come on
and stay
on. To turn the system back on, press the
button again. The warning light should go off.
(See “Traction Control System” in the Index for
more information.)
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn
off and the warning light will come on. If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control system will turn
off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Traction Control System Active Light
When your traction control
system is limiting wheel
TRACTION I spin, this light will come on.
ACTIVE
Slippery road conditions may exist if the traction
control system active light comes on,
so adjust your
driving accordingly.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the
traction control system stops limiting wheel spin.
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Turn on the system by pressing any button except
RESET, ENTER or OFF. When you turn on the ignition,
the
DIC will be in the mode last displayed when the
engine was turned off. Keep in mind that this also
applies to the
OFF mode.
To turn off messages on the DIC (except LOW OIL
PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET and the hot engine warnings), press any button
on the DIC.
\ II
You will need to open the cover to access the control
buttons.
To open the cover, push the button located to
the right
of the cover.
To close the cover, push it down to its closed position.
Fuel Economy
The ECON button displays average fuel economy and
instantaneous fuel economy calculated for your specific
driving conditions.
Press ECON to display average fuel economy, such as:
25.2 AVG MI/GAL or 9.3 AVG WlOO KM
Press ECON again to display instantaneous fuel
economy, such as:
28 INST MUGAL or 8.4 INST WlOO KM
Press again to return to average fuel economy.
The average fuel economy is viewed as a long-term
approximation
of your overall driving conditions.
If you press RESET in this mode while you’re driving,
the system will begin figuring fuel economy from that
point
in time.

“A
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
Aurora: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.) Defensive
driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways,
it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving.
You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going
to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the floor
-- makes
proper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger
to help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe
place to do them yourself. These simple defensive
driving techniques could save your life.
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