key Oldsmobile Aurora 1998 s Owner's Guide

Starting Your 4.0L Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your
engine gets warm.
I 1
I 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. I
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 between each
try to help avoid draining your battery or damaging
your starter.
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.
2-22

Automatic Transaxle Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s
the best position
to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can’t move easily. 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.
Ensure the shift lever
is fully in the PARK (P)
range before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You have to fully
apply
your regular brakes bcfore you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in RUN.
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2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) as follows:
Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way down toward the front
of your vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then,
see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pushing
the button.
If you can, it means the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK (P).

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK
(P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out
of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
is in RUN. See
“Shifting the Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) 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.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Open and close the
driver’s door
to turn off the retained accessory
power feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Take your vehicle to an authorized service center
as soon as you can.

Headlamps
0 Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
Instrument Panel Lights
0 License Plate Lamps
-‘a- / , Turn the band to this symbol to turn on:
Headlamps
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
Instrument Panel Lights
License Plate Lamps
Turn the band to
OFF to turn off the 1ampsAights.
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.
2-36
-

Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of your instrument
displays during daylight while your headlamps are on.
This feature operates with the light sensor for the
twilight sentinel and is fully automatic. When the
light sensor reads darkness outside, you will be able
to dim your instrument panel displays once again.
Perimeter Lighting
When the UNLOCK button on the remote lock control
transmitter is pressed, the headlamps, parking lamps,
back-up lamps and cornering lamps will come on
if it is
dark enough outside according to the twilight sentinel.
Exit Lighting
With this feature, the interior lamps will come on for
25 seconds after you remove the key from the ignition.
This will give you time to find the door pull handle or
lock switches when you exit the vehicle.
Illuminated Entry
Press the UNLOCK button on the remote lock control
transmitter and the interior courtesy lamps will come on
and stay on for up to a minute. The lamps will turn
off
immediately by pressing the LOCK button on the
remote lock control transmitter, starting the ignition or
activating the power door locks. This
option can be programmed on or
off for each
driver’s transmitter.
To turn the feature off
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF
2. Press and hold the door lock switch throughout this
procedure. All doors will lock.
3. Press the instant alarm button on the remote lock
control transmitter. Perimeter lighting remains on at
this time and the horn will chirp two times.
4. Press the instant alarm button on the remote lock
control transmitter again. Perimeter lighting is
disabled and the horn will chirp one time.
5. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
option is now
off.
2-46

To turn the feature on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the ignition key to OFF
Press and hold the door lock switch throughout this
procedure. All doors will
lock.
Press the instant alarm button on the remote lock
control transmitter. Perimeter lighting remains off
at this time and the horn will chirp one time.
Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is now enabled and the
horn will chirp two times.
Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
option
is now on.
This procedure changes the mode for only the
transmitter used to change this setting. The procedure
will need to be repeated for the second transmitter.
Front Reading Lamps
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps will come
on when you open a door. They will turn
off when you
turn on the ignition. If a door is left open, they will
turn
off after about 10 minutes.
To turn on the reading lamps when the doors are closed,
press the button behind the lamp you want on. Press it
again to turn the lamp
off.
These lamps work even when the ignition is off. To
avoid draining your vehicle’s battery, be sure to turn
off all front and rear reading lamps when leaving
your vehicle.
2-47

Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface is curved so you can see more from
the driver’s seat.
I A CAUTION:
rn 3
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit
a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder
before changing lanes.
Heated Outside Rearview Mirror
When you operate the rear window defogger, a defogger
also warms the heated driver’s and passenger’s outside
rearview mirrors to help clear them of ice and snow.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, pull the latch release on the left side of the glove
box door.
Front Storage Armrest
The front armrest opens into a storage area. To open it,
lift the front edge. Inside you will find storage for
cassettes, compact discs and coins.
2-52

When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one
of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Your vehicle may also have a driver information system
that works along with the warning lights and gages. See
“Driver Information System” in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay
on
for about 70 seconds. If the
driver’s belt is already
buckled, neither the chime
nor
the light will come on.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells
you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag”
in the Index.
AIR BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should
go out. This means
the system
is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for
a few
seconds 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.
2-65
- ..

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.