Oldsmobile Aurora 2001 Owner's Manuals

2-31 Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
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).
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 ªtorque lock.º
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 ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º 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).

2-32
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brake before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transaxleº 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 want. If you
ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't shift
out of PARK (P), try the following:
1. Turn the key to the LOCK ignition position.
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.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

2-33
Engine Exhaust
CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can't see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:

Your exhaust system sounds strange
or different.

Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.

Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.

Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.

Repairs weren't done correctly.

Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:

Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and

Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaust.º
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 ªBlizzardº in the Index.

2-34
CAUTION:
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 ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
Press on the center area of the steering wheel to sound
the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows
you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever toward you. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable level, then release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.

2-35
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:

Turn and Lane Change Signals

Headlamps

Headlamp High/Low
-Beam Changer

Parking Lamps

Flash
-To-Pass

Fog Lamps
Turn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow
you to signal either a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up
or down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will flash in
the direction of the turn
or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.

2-36
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
flash very fast, a bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won't see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid
an accident.
If the arrows don't go on at all when you signal a turn,
check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in the
Index) and for burned
-out bulbs.
Turn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 0.8 miles
(1.3 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal and the DIC will display the TURN SIGNAL
ON? reminder message. To turn off the chime and
message, move the turn signal lever to the off position.
To turn off the DIC message while the turn signal is
still active, press any button on the DIC.
Headlamps
The headlamp control
is located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
Turn the control to this symbol to turn on
the following:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights

2-37
Turn the headlamp control to this symbol to turn on
the following:

Headlamps

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights
Turning the headlamp control to AUTO will turn the
headlamps, taillamps and parking lamps on and off,
while the ignition is on, by sensing how dark it is outside.
Turn the headlamp control back to off to turn all of the
lamps off.
Wiper
-Activated Headlamps
This feature turns on the low
-beam headlamps,
instrument panel cluster backlighting, and taillamps
when it is bright enough outside, the headlamp control
is in AUTO and after the windshield wipers have been
in use for approximately six seconds.To operate the wiper
-activated headlamps the headlamp
control must be in AUTO. If the wiper
-activated
headlamps are on and the ignition switch is turned to
RUN, the wiper
-activated headlamps will continue.
When you turn the key to LOCK, the wiper
-activated
headlamps will immediately turn off. The wiper
-activated
headlamps will also turn off if you turn the headlamp
switch to OFF or turn off the windshield wipers.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high,
push the lever away from you until you hear a click.
Then release it.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
If the fog lamps are on when you turn on the
high
-beam headlamps, the fog lamps will turn off.
The fog lamps will turn back on when you turn off the
high
-beam headlamps.

2-38 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.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps
to signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
It works even if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Your high
-beam headlamps will turn on. They'll stay
on as long as you hold the lever there. Release the lever
to turn them off.
If your headlamps are on, and on high beam, your
headlamps will switch to low beam when the lever is
released. To get back to high beam, push the lever
away from you.
Fog Lamps
To turn on only the front
fog lamps, turn the fog
lamp band to the single
fog lamp symbol. To turn
on both the front and rear
fog lamps, turn the fog
lamp band to the double
fog lamp symbol.
Turning on the front fog lamps only will automatically
activate the parking lamps. Turning on the front and rear
fog lamps will automatically activate the parking lamps
and headlamps.
To turn off the fog lamps, turn the band to OFF. The
front fog lamps will also turn off when you turn on your
high
-beam headlamps, but will turn on again when you
switch to low beams.

2-39 Windshield Wipers
The lever on the right side of your steering column
operates your windshield wipers.
If your windshield wipers are on for more than
six seconds while you are driving, the low
-beam
headlamps, instrument panel cluster backlighting and
the taillamps will turn on. For more information see
ªWiper
-Activated Headlampsº in the Index.
For a single wiping cycle, move the lever down to MIST.
Hold it there until the wipers start, then release it. The wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles, hold the lever to MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, move the lever up to
the LO position. For high
-speed wiping, move the
lever up further, to HI. To stop the wipers, move the
lever to OFF.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wiper cycles. This can be very useful in light
rain or snow. Move the lever up to the first detent, INT.
Turn the band labeled INT ADJ down towards the
shorter lines for fewer wiper passes per minute. As you
turn the band towards the longer lines, the wiper cycles
per minute will increase.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent
you from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If they're frozen to the
windshield, carefully loosen or thaw them. If your
blades do become damaged, get new blades or blade
inserts. See ªWindshield Wiper Blade Replacementº
in the Index.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.

2-40 Rainsense
Wipers (If Equipped)
The moisture sensor is mounted on the passenger's
interior side of the windshield behind the rearview
mirror and is used to automatically operate the wipers
by monitoring the amount of moisture that is on
the windshield.
The Rainsense system can be activated by moving the
wiper lever to INT. Set the wiper control band to one
of the five sensitivity settings within the delay area.
The bottom INT ADJ position is the lowest sensitivity
setting. This allows more water to collect on the
windshield between wipes. You can increase the
sensitivity of the system and the frequency of wipes
by turning the INT ADJ band up towards the wider
lines. A single wipe will occur each time you turn the
wiper control band to a higher sensitivity setting.
The Rainsense wipers operate in a delay mode as well
as a continuous low or high speed depending on the
amount of moisture on the windshield and the sensitivity
setting. The MIST and ªwashº cycles operate as normal
and are not affected by the Rainsense function.NOTICE:
The wipers must be turned off when going
through a car wash to avoid damage.
It is important to note that the Rainsense delay wiping
feature can be overridden at any time by manually
changing the wiper control to LO or HI speed.
NOTICE:
Do not place stickers or other items on the
exterior glass surface directly in front of the
rainsensor. Doing this could cause the rainsensor
to malfunction.