traction control OLDSMOBILE AURORA 2003 Owners Manual

3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview .............................. -3-2
Hazard Warning Flashers
................................ 3-4
Other Warning Devices
................................... 3-5
Horn
............................................................. 3-5
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3-5
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3-6
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3-14
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3-17
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3-21
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
........................ 3-22
Climate Controls
............................................ 3.23
Automatic Climate Control System
.................. 3-23
Outlet Adjustment
......................................... 3-27
Steering Wheel Climate Controls
..................... 3-28
Climate Controls Personalization
..................... 3.29
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
............. 3-30
Instrument Panel Cluster
............................... -3-31
Speedometer and Odometer
........................... 3-32
I acnorneier .-..
Safety Belt Reminder Light ............................. 3-33
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3-34
Battery Warning Light
.................................... 3.35
Brake System Warning Light
.......................... 3.35
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
............. 3-36
- n no .................................................
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light ... 3.37
Traction Control System Active Light
............... 3.38
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
.................. 3.38
Oil Pressure Light
......................................... 3.42
Cruise Control Light
...................................... 3.43
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3.44
Driver Information Center
(DIC) ....................... 3.45
DIC Warnings and Messages
......................... 3.50
DIC Vehicle Personalization
............................ 3.52
Audio System(s)
............................................. 3.59
Setting the Time
........................................... 3.59
Radio with Cassette and CD
.......................... 3.60
Navigation/Radio System
............................... 3.69
Trunk-Mounted CD Changer
........................... 3-70
Personal Choice Radio Controls
...................... 3.73
Theft-Deterrent Feature
.................................. 3.73
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
....................... 3.74
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
................. 3-74
Care of Your CDs
......................................... 3-75
Care
of Your CD Player ................................ 3-76
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp
............................. 3.39
I I...I-.-L--A.- ... n,.-J:, n-, --+in- VI luel awl lull ty I laulu I IGL, G~LIUI I u 1 T '2 7A ......................
Diversity Antenna System .............................. 3.76
Chime Level Adjustment
............................... -3-76
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Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This is helpful on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See
Traction
Control System
(TCS) on page 4-8. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don’t use your cruise control on
winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
lose control. Don’t use cruise control on
slippery roads.
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If you leave your cruise control on when you’re
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don’t want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
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Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
,
TRAC
OFF
United States Canada
This warning light should come on briefly when the
engine
is started.
If the warning light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning
light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your ariving accordingiy. The
traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the TC button
located on the center console, the warning light will
come on and stay on. To turn the system back
on, press the button again. The warning light should
go
off. See Traction Control System (TCS) on
page 4-8 for more information.
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control
system will turn
off and the warning light will come
on.
If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction
control system will turn
off and the warning light will
come on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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Traction Control System Active
Light
United States
I
Canada
When your traction control system is limiting wheel spin,
this light will come on. Slippery road conditions may
exist
if the traction control system active light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the traction
control system stops limiting wheel spin.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
United States Canada
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves into the shaded warning zone,
your engine is hot.
To prevent engine overheating, the air conditioning
compressor will turn
off automatically, a fast-pulsed
chime will sound, and the message ENGINE HOT
... A/C
OFF will appear in the Driver Information Center
(DIC).
As the engine cools down, the air conditioning
compressor will automatically turn back on.
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4 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving. the Road. and Your Vehicle .......... 4-2
Defensive Driving
.......................................... -4-2
Drunken Driving
............................................. 4-2
Control
of a Vehicle ........................................ 4-5
Braking
......................................................... 4.6
Traction Control System (TCS)
........................ -4-8
Steering
...................................................... 4.10
Off -Road Recovery ....................................... 4.13
Passing
....................................................... 4.13
Loss of Control ............................................. 4-15
Driving at Night
............................................ 4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
.................. 4-18 City
Driving
.................................................. 4-21
Freeway Driving
........................................... 4.22
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
....................... 4-23
Highway Hypnosis
........................................ 4.24
Hill and Mountain Roads
................................ 4-24
Winter Driving
.............................................. 4.26
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ... 4-32
Towing
.......................................................... 4.33
Towing Your Vehicle
..................................... 4-33
Recreational Vehicle Towing
........................... 4.33
Towing a Trailer
........................................... 4.36
Loading
Your Vehicle
.................................... 4-34
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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.
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conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance.
If you get too close to the
vehicle
in front of you, you won’t have time to apply your
brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear a
motor or clicking nosie during a hard stop, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only
if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning
or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system works the front brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
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TRAC
ON
United States Canada
This light will come on when your traction control
system is limiting wheel spin. See
Traction Control
System Active Light
on page 3-38.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See “Cruise Control” under
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever on page 3-6.
TRAC
OFF
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you start the
engine.
If it stays on or comes on while you are driving,
there’s a problem with your traction control system.
See
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-37. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system
off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system
off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See “Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out”
under
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-32.
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To turn the system off,
press the TC button on the
center console.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button, the warning light will come
on
- but the system won’t turn off right away. It will
wait until there’s no longer a current need
to limit
wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The traction control system
warning light should go
off.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Magnetic-Speed Variable Assist
Steering
Your vehicle is equipped with a steering system that
continuously adjusts the effort you feel when steering at
all vehicle speeds. It provides ease when parking,
yet
a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
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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.
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