tow OLDSMOBILE AURORA 2002 User Guide

2-30
Shifting Into PARK (P)
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.
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, use
the steps that follow. If you're pulling a trailer,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake by pushing down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pushing the
lever all the way forward.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
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).
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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 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.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold
the wheel and pull the
lever toward you. Then
move the wheel to a
comfortable position
and release the lever
to lock the wheel
in place.
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2-37 Flash-to-Pass Feature
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.
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.
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2-38
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. Move the lever up to the first
detent, INT (Intermittent). Turn the band labeled INT
ADJ (Intermittent Adjustment) down toward the shorter
lines for fewer wiper passes per minute. As you turn the
band toward 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.
Rainsense
II Wipers (If Equipped)
The moisture sensor is mounted on the interior side of
the windshield below the rearview mirror and is used to
automatically operate the windshield wipers. This
system operates by monitoring the amount of moisture
build
-up on the windshield. Wipes occur as needed to
clear the windshield depending on the driving conditions
and sensitivity setting. In light rain or snow, fewer wipes
will occur. In heavy rain or snow, wipes will occur more
frequently. The system will operate in the delay, low
speed and high speed modes. If the system is left on for
long periods of time, occasional wipes may occur
without any moisture on the windshield. This is normal
and indicates that the Rainsense system is activated.
The Rainsense system is activated by moving the wiper lever
up to the INT position and turning the INT ADJ band to
one of the five sensitivity levels within the delay area. The
bottom INT ADJ position is the lowest sensitivity setting,
level one. This allows more rain or snow 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 away from you to the higher
sensitivity levels. The top position is the highest sensitivity
setting, level five. A single wipe will occur each time you
turn the INT ADJ band to a higher sensitivity level to
indicate that the sensitivity level has been increased.
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2-42
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

Push the lever down until you reach a desired lower
speed then release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, push the lever
down briefly. Each time you do this, you'll go about
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 Without Erasing the
Set Speed
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal, or

pull the cruise lever towards you to cancel cruise.
To resume the set speed see ªResuming a Set Speedº
earlier in this section.
Erasing Cruise Control Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
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2-45
With your headlamp control in AUTO when it is
dark enough outside, your low
-beam headlamps will
automatically come on. The other lamps that turn on
with your headlamps will also turn on. When it is bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and your
high
-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you
are parked, turn the exterior lamps control all the way
toward OFF. The DRL will turn on automatically and
the HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED message will be
displayed on the DIC when you move the transaxle
out of PARK (P).
If the exterior lamps control is in the parking lamps
position at night, only the parking lamps will be on.
If the transaxle is out of PARK (P), only the
parking lamps will be active and the HEADLAMPS
SUGGESTED message will be displayed on the DIC.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Automatic Headlamps
The automatic headlamps will keep your headlamps on
when it is dark outside and the ignition is in ON.
It's possible that your headlamps may go out if you
drive from a dark area into a bright area like a lighted
parking lot. If this happens, turn on your headlamps
with the exterior lamps control.
Light Sensor
Your automatic headlamps and DRL 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 automatic headlamp
lighting will turn on.
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2-51
Mirrors
Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
with Compass
Your vehicle has an electrochromic inside rearview
mirror with a compass. Your vehicle's mirror may also
contain OnStar

controls.
(On/Off): This is the on/off button for mirrors
equipped with OnStar controls.
Pressing the MIRROR button (or the on/off button for
mirrors equipped with OnStar controls) located at the
bottom of the mirror, turns the automatic dimming
feature on or off.
The mirror also includes an eight
-point compass
display in the upper right corner of the mirror face.
When on, the compass automatically calibrates as the
vehicle is driven.
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.Mirror Operation
To turn on the automatic dimming feature, press
MIRROR (or press and hold the on/off button for
about three seconds for mirrors equipped with OnStar
controls). To turn off automatic dimming, press
MIRROR (or press and hold the on/off button for
about three seconds for mirrors equipped with OnStar
controls) again. The green indicator light will be
illuminated when this feature is active. The automatic
dimming feature will be active each time the vehicle
is started.
Compass Operation
Press COMPASS (or the on/off button for mirrors
equipped with OnStar controls) 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.
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2-61 OnStar System Limitations
Complete limitations can be found on the Subscriber
Services Agreement.
In order to provide you with excellent service, calls with
the OnStar Center may be monitored or recorded.
OnStar Service is:

Available in the 48 contiguous United States, Alaska,
Hawaii and Canada;

available when the vehicle is within the operating
range of a cellular provider;

subject to limitations caused by atmospheric
conditions, such as severe weather or topographical
conditions, such as mountainous terrain;

subject to cellular carrier equipment limitations.
Global positioning locating capabilities will not be
available if satellite signals are obstructed.
OnStar will not function if the vehicle's battery is
discharged or disconnected. It may also be inoperative
if the vehicle is in an accident and the OnStar or vehicle
electrical system components are damaged.OnStar is the communication link between you and
existing governmental emergency and roadside service
providers. OnStar will receive your call and use
reasonable effort to contact an appropriate provider.
OnStar cannot promise that the providers will respond in
a timely manner or at all.
Assist Handles
A handle above each rear door and the front passenger's
door can be used to help you get in or out of your vehicle.
Floor Mats
Your vehicle is equipped with floor mats. The driver's
side floor mat is held in place by a locator hook.
To remove the driver's side floor mat, slide the floor mat
towards the driver's seat to unhook it. Then pick up the
floor mat to remove it.
To reinstall the floor mat, line up the opening in the floor
mat over the locator hook and push it down into place.
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2-62
Sunroof (Option)
If your vehicle has this
option, the switches are
located on the headliner
between the sun visors.
There are two switches that operate the sunroof. The
switches will only work when the ignition is on or when
RAP is active. See ªRetained Accessory Power (RAP)º
in the Index.
The OPEN/CLOSE switch has positions for open or
close and express open. The TILT/CLOSE switch has
positions for tilt or close.
Open: Press and hold the OPEN/CLOSE switch to the
first position to open the glass panel and sunshade. The
sunshade can also be opened by hand.Comfort Stop: Press and release the OPEN/CLOSE
switch rearward to the second position to express open
the glass panel to the comfort stop position. The comfort
stop position is designed to help reduce noise and make
the passengers more comfortable.
Express Open: The glass panel may be fully opened
by pressing the OPEN/CLOSE switch rearward again.
When the glass panel is express opening, pressing either
switch in any direction will stop it. If you press and hold
the OPEN/CLOSE switch in the express open position
for more than one and a half seconds, the express open
operation will be overridden and the sunroof will
operate manually.
Tilt: To tilt open the glass panel, press and hold the
TILT/CLOSE switch. The sunshade must be opened
by hand.
Close: To close the glass panel, press and hold the
OPEN/CLOSE or TILT/CLOSE switch in the close
position. As the glass panel reaches the closed position,
it will open slightly towards the tilt position and then
drop down to the closed position to provide a better seal.
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2-73 Battery Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you start the
vehicle, as a check to show
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.
Have it checked right away. Driving while this light is
on could drain your battery, and result in a vehicle that
may stall.
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 system.
On the DIC a CHECK CHARGE SYSTEM message
will be displayed and a warning chime will sound.
See ªDIC Warnings and Messagesº in the Index for
more information.
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.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it doesn't come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If the light comes 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.
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