warning light Oldsmobile Aurora 1998 s User Guide

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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.-

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn
on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none
of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may
stay on after you start your
engine, or come on when
OIL you are driving.
A warning chime and the message
LOW OIL
PRESSURE may also come on.
These indicate that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it cool. The engine could be low
on oil, or could have some other oil problem. Have it
fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on briefly when the
ignition is on but
the engine is not running. The light
will come on as a test to show
you it is working, but the
light will go out when you turn the ignition to START.
If
it doesn’t come on with the ignition on, you may have a
problem with the fuse or bulb. Have it fixed right away.

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.
If there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
LOCK
ANT‘- (@) on. See “Anti-Lock Brake 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
both rear wheels.
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This light will come on
when your traction control
TRACTION
ACTIVE system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Traction Control
System Active Light” in
the Index.
You may
feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control” in the Index.)
TRACTION
OFF
This light should come
on briefly when you start
the engine.
If it stays on
or comes on while you
are drrving, there’s a
problem with your
traction control system.
See “Traction Control System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system
off if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system
off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or
snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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To turn the system off,
press the TRACTION
CONTROL button on
the center console.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
The traction control system warning light will come
on and stay on.
If the system is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button, the warning light will come
on
-- but the system won't turn off right away. It will
wait until there's no longer a current need to limit
wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should go off.
Magnasteer TM
Your vehicle is equipped with GM Magnasteer" , a
steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you
feel when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out
for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals. Here are ways to
increase your safety
in city driving:
0
0
0
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See
the next
part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need
it. When a light turns green, and just before you
start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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e You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area or winding roads.
Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter
dri .vlng:
e Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or
a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.

Making Turns
I NOTICE: 1
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t
strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal
well in advance.
Tbrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they
are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle may have bulb warning messages. When
you plug a trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s
lighting system, its bulb warning messages may not let
you know if one
of your lamps goes out. So, when you
have a trailer lighting system plugged in, be sure to
check your vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time
to be sure they’re all working. Once you disconnect the
trailer lamps, the bulb warning messages again can tell
you if one of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
... .. ‘-... ...*....... * .... >::*.’.!:*.-....-:.:: ..*,. .... .. ..,.. .... Press down on the button - . - . - . . - . . . , - .
1
The HAZARD light on the
instrument panel will also
HAZARD A I
come on.
Your hazard flashers work
I
no matter what position
your key is in, and even if
the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, press the button down again.
When the flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work.
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