tow OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1999 Owner's Manual

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2-44 Twilight Sentinel


Twilight sentinel turns the
headlamps, taillamps and
parking lamps on and off
by sensing how dark it
is outside.
To operate it, leave the headlamp switch off and move
the twilight sentinel control toward MAX. The control is
located to the left of the steering column.
If you move the control all the way to MAX, your lamps will
remain on for three minutes after you turn off your engine. If
you move the control toward MIN, the lamps will go off
quickly when you turn off your engine. You can set this delay
time for only a few seconds or up to three minutes.
Light Sensor
Your twilight sentinel and daytime running lamps work
with the light sensor on top of the instrument panel.
Don't cover it up. If you do it will read ªdarkº and the
headlamps will come on.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
You can brighten or dim your instrument cluster, radio and
climate control displays and control lights by rotating the
INTERIOR LIGHTS control between LO and HI when
your lights are on. Rotate the control all the way to HI and
you will turn on the interior courtesy lamps.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. They
make it easy for you to enter and leave the car. To turn
on these lamps, rotate the INTERIOR LIGHTS knob all
the way to HI.
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When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray
glass cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause
the liquid cleaner to enter the mirror housing. Use a
cotton swab and glass cleaner to clean the photocells
when necessary.
Mirror Operation
The right side of the button located at the bottom of the
mirror turns the electrochromic mirror on and off. To
turn on the automatic dimming feature, press MIRROR.
To turn off automatic dimming, press MIRROR again.
The green indicator light will be illuminated when this
feature is active.Compass Operation
Press the COMPASS button once to turn the compass
on or off.
When the ignition and the compass feature are on, the
compass will show two character boxes for
approximately two seconds. After two seconds, the
mirror will display the compass heading.
If, after two seconds, the display does not show a
compass heading (ªNº for North, for example), there
may be a strong magnetic field interfering with the
compass. Such interference may be caused by a
magnetic antenna mount, magnetic note pad holder or a
similar magnetic item.
Compass Calibration
If the letter ªCº should ever appear in the compass
window, the compass may need calibration.
The mirror can be calibrated in one of two ways:

Drive the vehicle in circles at five mph (8 km/h) or
less until the display reads a direction, or

Drive the vehicle on your everyday routine.
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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 ªTowing
Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light is on. Driving with the
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, 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 is applied or hasn't released fully.
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This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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In cold weather, the system will delay turning on the fan
to avoid blowing cold air. The length of the delay
depends on the engine coolant temperature and the
outside temperature. Turning the AUTO FAN knob will
override this delay by turning off the automatic fan
mode and changing the fan speed.
Your automatic electronic climate control system has
two sun sensors located on the top of the instrument
panel that detect direct sunlight. To keep you and your
passengers comfortable, the system may supply cooler
air to the side toward the sun. Be careful not to put
anything over these sun sensors. The automatic
electronic climate control system may not operate
correctly if these sensors are covered.To change the automatic electronic climate control
display from an English display to a metric display, push
the OFF button located in the Driver Information Center
(DIC) for two seconds. The display in the DIC will also
change from an English to a metric display. To return to
an English display, repeat the above procedure.
Manual Operation
You may override the automatic airflow distribution by
turning the AUTO
-PUSH knob. After you turn this
knob, the comfort setting will be displayed for five
seconds, then the outside temperature will be displayed.
The fan control will remain in the automatic control
mode unless you turn the AUTO FAN knob to select a
manual fan speed.
UPPER: This setting directs airflow through the
upper air outlets located in the instrument panel and
door panels.
BI-LEVEL: This setting directs the airflow
through both the upper air outlets and the lower floor
outlets. There is also a small amount of air directed to
the front defroster and the side window defrosters.
HEAT: This setting directs most of the airflow to
the lower floor outlets with some airflow directed to the
side window defrosters. There is also a small amount of
airflow directed to the front defroster.
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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We've also
included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-5 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-10 Steering
4
-13 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-14 Loss of Control
4
-16 Driving at Night
4
-17 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads4
-20 City Driving
4
-21 Freeway Driving
4
-22 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-23 Highway Hypnosis
4
-23 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-25 Winter Driving
4
-29 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-30 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-32 Towing a Trailer
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
To tow your vehicle, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight
-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
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Towing a Trailer
CAUTION:
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You and
your passengers could be seriously injured. You
may also damage your vehicle; the resulting repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Pull a
trailer only if you have followed all the steps in this
section. Ask your dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in ªWeight of the Trailerº
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.That's the reason for this part. In it are many
time
-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load
-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What's more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:

There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you'll be driving. A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.

Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
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Don't tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.

Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don't drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don't make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.

Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don't drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than 55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle's parts.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:

the weight of the trailer,

the weight of the trailer tongue

and the total weight on your vehicle's tires.Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1000 lbs. (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Customer Assistance Representative
Oldsmobile Customer Assistance Network
16 E. Judson Street
P.O. Box 436006
Pontiac, MI 48343±6006
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
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4-34 Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the total or gross
weight of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any
cargo you may carry in it, and the people who will be
riding in the vehicle. And if you tow a trailer, you must
add the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle
will be carrying that weight, too. See ªLoading Your
Vehicleº in the Index for more information about your
vehicle's maximum load capacity.
If you're using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh 10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B). If you have a weight
-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh 12 percent
of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren't, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the
Tire
-Loading Information label at the rear edge of the
driver's door or see ªLoading Your Vehicleº in the
Index. Then be sure you don't go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle, including the weight of the
trailer tongue.
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