tires OLDSMOBILE AURORA 2003 Owners Manual

The 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora Owner Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 4 -8
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-28
Air Bag Systems
...................................... 1-47
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-55
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
...................................... 2-10
Windows
................................................. 2-1 7
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-1 9
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-23
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-35
Onstar@ System
...................................... 2-39
HomeLink@ Transmitter
............................. 2-41
Storage Areas
......................................... 2-45
Sunroof
.................................................. 2-47
venicie Personaiization
............................. 2-48
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-23
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
......... 3-30
D!%%?r !!?formatior! Center (D!C) .................. u 12-AK -rJ
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-59 Driving
Your Vehicle
....................................... 4-1
Your Driving. the Road. and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Service and Appearance Care
.......................... 5-1
Towing
................................................... 4-33
Service
............................... ;. .................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under
the Hood
............................................. 5-12
Headlamp Aiming
..................................... 5-50
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
= ~ iI I I 5-59
Tires ...................................................... 5-60
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-82
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-90
Electrical System
...................................... 5-91
Capacities and Specifications
................... 5-1 00
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information
.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Bulb
Replacement
.................................... 5-54
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
.... 5-101
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
I-- -I ~ a lnQex ................................................................. 1
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This system is called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The
CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice: If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered by your warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires with
other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modifications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. 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.
b Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
3-40
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Gage Tire pressure status, such as the following:
TIRE PRESSURE NORMAL or TIRE
PRESSURE LOW
TIRE PRESSURE NORMAL appears when the
check tire pressure system believes your vehicle’s
tire pressures are normal.
if a potential tire
pressure problem is detected, the display will show
TIRE PRESSURE LOW. If you see this message,
you should stop
as soon as you can and check
all four tires for damage.
If a tire is flat, see If a Tire
Goes Flat on page 5-70.
Also check the tire
pressure in all four tires as soon as you can. See
lnflation -- Tire Pressure on page 5-60.
Pressing the SELECT down arrow while in GAGE mode
will allow you to access the battery volts, oil pressure
and tire pressure displays. Pressing and holding
the RESET button for three seconds while
in average
speed and tire pressure displays will reset them.
Pressing the SELECT down arrow in GAGE mode will
show the following displays:
Battery voltage, such as the following:
VOLTS:
13.8
0 Oil pressure, such as the following:
OIL PRESSURE
40 PSI or OIL PRESSURE
276 KPA
Average speed, such as the following:
AVG SPEED
55 MPH or AVG SPEED 90 KM/H There
are times when you will have to reset
(calibrate) the check tire pressure system. Pressing
the RESET button while the TIRE PRESSURE
LOW warning is displayed does not automatically
reset the tire pressure monitoring system. See
Check Tire Pressure System on page 5-62 for more
information.
3-49
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Drinking and t n d ing is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgement can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious-or
even fatal-collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home
in a
cab; or if you’re with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the
steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to
do their work at the places where the tires meet
the road.
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Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also see
Traction Control System
(TCS) on page
4-8.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4
of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot
of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others
is
important. And, of
course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement
or gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition
of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
- heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster
if
you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
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.
4-6
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Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
~II slddenly accelerate. Both control systems -
steering and acceleration - have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much of those places. You can lose
control. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-8.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want
it to go, and slow down.
If you have Stabilitrak@, you may see the STABILITY
ACTIVE message on the Driver Information Center. See
“Stability Active Message” under
DIC Warnings and
Wlessages on page
3-50.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-1 1
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e e
e Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time 011
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
LOSS of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has
asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited
to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only
the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid
if it occurs.
4-1 5
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If you have Stabilitrak@, you may see the STABILITY
ACTIVE message on the Driver Information Center. See
“Stability Active Message” under
DIC Warnings and
Messages on
page 3-50.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely
to be impaired
- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on
dry roads. And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left,
you’ll get even less traction. It’s always wise to go
slower and be cautious
if rain starts to fall while you are
driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road
and even people walking.
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield,
or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
4-1 8
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid
puuuies. Eui ii yuu mrl'i, ir y iu siuw ciwwrl beiure yuu
hit them. Wet
brakes can cause accidents.
I_ .-2y won't
work as well in
a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control
of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen
if the road is wet enough and
you're going fast enough. When your vehicle
is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
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