engine OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1994 Owner's Manual

Features & Controls
90
CHECK
OAGES
Battery Light (STANDARD CLUSTER)
The battery light will come on briefly
when you turn on the ignition as a
check to show you it is working. It
should go out once the engine
is
running. If it stays on, or comes on
while you are driving, you may have a
loose belt or other problem with the
electrical charging system. Have it
checked right away. Driving while this
light is on could drain your battery.
If
you must drive a short distance with
the light
on, be certain to turn off all
your accessories, such as the radio and
air conditioner.
I
CHECK
GAGES
Check Gages Ljght
(STANDARD CLUSTER)
This light will come on briefly when you
are starting the engine. If the light
comes on and stays on while you are
driving, check your various gages to see
if they are in the warning zones.
ProCarManuals.com

Comfort Cont'rok &Audio Systems
LO HI
Climate Control System
Your vehicle's heater and air
conditioner work best
if you keep your
windows closed. Your vehicle also has
flow-through ventilation, described later
in this section, to bring outside air into
your vehicle.
3f Fan Lever: The lever at the top has
four positions. Move it toward
HI to
increase the air flow. To decrease the
air flow, move it toward
LO.
Temperature Lever: Slide the lever on
the left to control the temperature of the
air flow into the vehicle. Move the lever
up for warmer air, down for cooler air.
Function Lever: Slide the lever on the
right to select the function desired. The
air conditioner compressor will operate
in all settings except
VENT and HTR
(Heater) when the outside temperature
is above freezing. When the air
conditioner compressor cycles
on, you
may sometimes notice slight changes in
your vehicle's engine performance and
power. This is normal, because the
system is designed to keep the desired
cooling level and help fuel economy. There are
three air conditioning
settings:
MAX A/C, NORM A/C, and
BI-LEV A/C. On very hot days, your
vehicle will cool down more quickly and
economically in any of these settings
if
you open the windows long enough to
let hot inside air escape. For all settings,
adjust the temperature control lever and
fan speed as desired.
MAX A/C: Select this setting to get
maximum cooling or quick cool-down
on very hot days. This setting
recirculates much of the air inside your
vehicle. It should not be used for long
periods
of time because the air may
become too cold and dry.
Also slide the temperature control lever
down to the coolest setting and adjust
the fan speed as desired.
NORM A/C: Use this setting for
normal cooling on hot days. This setting
cools outside air and directs it through
the instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEV A/C: Use on cool but sunny
days. This setting brings in outside air,
but directs it two ways-through the
instrument panel outlets and the heater
ProCarManuals.com

ducts at your feet. At times this
temperature difference may be more
apparent than others.
VENT: The vent setting brings in
outside air through the instrument
panel outlets and at your front side
windows.
HTR The heater setting brings in most
heated air through the heater ducts, and
some through the defroster vents.
If you have the optional engine coolant
heater and use it during cold weather,
20°F (-8°C) or lower, your heating
system will more quickly provide heat
because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See the
Index under Engine
Coolant Heater.
most of the warmed air to the
windshield and side windows. Some
will also
go to the floor vents.
The air conditioner will also run in this
setting to remove moisture from the air
when the temperature is above
40°F
(4°C). Adjust the temperature control
as desired.
(Defrost): This setting directs
Defogging and Defrosting
To rapidly defrost the windshield, slide
the temperature control lever all the
way up and select the
(j@ setting.
Adjust the fan to the highest speed.
To rapidly defog the side windows,
select the
BI-LEV AfC setting and
adjust the fan to the highest speed. Aim
the side vents toward the side windows.
For increased air flow to the side vents,
close the center vents.
r
93
ProCarManuals.com

This helps clear the intake ducts of
snow and moisture, and reduces the
chance
of fogging the inside of your
windows.
Keep the air path under the front
seats and console clear of objects.
This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Audio Systems
The following pages describe the audio
systems available for your Oldsmobile,
and how to get the best performance
from them. Please read about the
system in your vehicle.
Hearing damage from loud noise is
almost undetectable until it is too late.
Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems
normal can be loud and harmful to your
hearing. Take precautions by adjusting
the volume control on your radio to a
safe sound level before your hearing
adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
1. Adjust the volume control to the
lowest setting.
2. Increase the volume slowly until you
hear comfortably and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound
equipment to your vehicle
- like a
tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
- be
sure
you can add what you want. If
you can, it’s very important to do it
properly. Added sound equipment
may interfere with the operation
of
your vehicle’s engine, Delcom radio
or other systems, and even damage
them. And, your vehicle’s systems
may interfere with the operation of
sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before
adding sound equipment, check
with your dealer and be sure to
check federal rules covering mobile
radio and telephone units.
1 3.5K 10K , I
;CAN SEEK
nn on AUTO REVERSE
’( EJECT SEARCH
Setting the Clock
Setting the clock is easy.
I. With the radio on or off and the
ignition
on, press SET. The SET
indicator will appear on the digital
screen for five seconds.
2. You must begin to set the clock to
the correct hour and minute during
those five seconds. Press
SCAN to
set the correct hour. Press
SEEK to
set the correct minute.
n
95
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
108
“I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer.
What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child
darts into the street? A person with a
higher BAC might not be able to react
quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking
and driving that many people don’t
know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse. That’s especially
true for brain, spinal cord and heart
injuries. That means that
if anyone who
has been drinking
- driver or
passenger
- is in a crash, the chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is
higher than
if that person had not been
drinking. And we’ve already seen that
the chance
of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers. 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.
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,
Wt Is All-Wheel Drive?
All the Wheels, All the Time
Bravada has a unique system called all-
wheel drive
(AWD) . Simply stated,
AWD supplies power from the engine to
all four wheels, all the time. It works in
ProCarManuals.com

all conditions-both on and off paved
surfaces, no matter
if the weather is fair
or foul.
The heart of the AWD system is the
transfer case. Here, engine power is
divided by an interaxle differential.
Under normal conditions,
it sends 65
percent of the torque to the rear axle and
the other 35 percent to the front axle.
But on a slippery surface, a viscous
clutch in the transfer case adjusts the
65/35 proportion according to need,
sending more power to the axle with
traction.
Another feature of the AWD system
that helps Bravada keep its grip is the
limited-slip rear axle. In conditions
where one rear wheel
loses traction but
the other still has some-as when one
wheel hits an icy patch or slips onto a
muddy road shoulder-this design
provides power to the wheel with
traction. And AWD is simple. It’s
always there-working.
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; and the condition of
your brakes. 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.
109
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
110
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON ANT’- LOCK I
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic
braking system that can help you keep
it under control. When you start your
vehicle and begin to drive away, you
may hear a momentary motor or
clicking noise. This is the ABS system
testing itself. Here’s how anti-lock works.
Let’s say
the road is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out in front
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what
happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that the wheels are
slowing down. If one of the wheels is
about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front
wheel and at the rear wheels. The anti-
lock system can change the brake
pressure faster than any driver could.
The computer is programmed to make
the most of available tire and road
conditions. You can steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
of
you.
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.
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.
To Use Four-wheel Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for you. You may feel the brakes
vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
ProCarManuals.com

Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when
you need to. 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.
I 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.
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 you suddenly
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.
Suppose you’re steering through
a
sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
-
steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the
road. Unless you have traction control
and the system is on, adding the sudden
acceleration can demand too much of
those places.
You can lose control. 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.
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.
111
ProCarManuals.com

hur Driving and the Road
114
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 Oldsmobile’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 and an acceleration
skid are 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
quicldy enough, your vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
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 braking
system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
I
114
If you don’t know, you should check
with law enforcement people in the
area. Will you be
on someone’s private
land?
If so, be sure to get the necessary
permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to
remember about how to load your
vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the
load floor and forward of your rear
axle. Put heavier items as far forward
as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly,
so driving on the off-road terrain
doesn’t toss things around.
You’ll find other important information
in this manual. See
Vehicle Loading,
Luggage Carrier
and Tires in the Index.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip,
especially when going to a remote area.
Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad
surprises. Get accurate maps of trails
and terrain. Try to learn of any blocked
or closed roads.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at
least one other vehicle. If something
happens to one of them, the other can
help quickly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road
Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area
that’s safe and close to home before you
go into the wilderness. Off-road driving
does require some new and different
driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of
signals. Your eyes, for example, need to
constantly sweep the terrain for
unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to
listen for unusual tire or engine sounds.
With your
arms, hands, feet, and body
you’ll need to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce.
ProCarManuals.com