brakes Oldsmobile Bravada 1999 Owner's Manuals

yellowblue
vi
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
CAUTION
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
FLAME
COULD
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
MASTER
LIGHTING
SWITCH
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
WASHER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
REAR
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER
FUEL
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.

yellowblue
2-18
CAUTION:
It is 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 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, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index. If
you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
Brake
-Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI). You have to
fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift
from PARK (P) when the ignition key is in RUN. If you
cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever
-- press the button on the shift lever and push the
shift lever all the way into PARK (P) as you maintain
brake application. Then move the shift lever into the
gear you wish. See ªShifting Out of PARK (P)º in
the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
ªStuck In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snowº in the Index.

yellowblue
2-19
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn't
connect with the wheels. To restart when you're already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is ªracingº (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don't shift out of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn't covered by your warranty.
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you're:

Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.

Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE (D) should not be used when towing a trailer,
carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills or for
off
-road driving. Select THIRD (3) when operating the
vehicle under any of these conditions.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power but lower fuel
economy than DRIVE (D). You should use THIRD (3)
when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on
steep hills or winding roads or for off
-road driving.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would
also want to use your brakes off and on.
You can also use SECOND (2) for starting your vehicle
from a stop on slippery road surfaces.

yellowblue
2-20
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is
moving forward, the transmission won't shift into
FIRST (1) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your wheels can't rotate, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object.
You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into PARK
(P) to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left foot. If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down.
Pull the BRAKE RELEASE lever fully. It is located on
the bottom of the instrument panel on the driver's side.

yellowblue
2-21
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and you must park on a hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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.

yellowblue
2-23 Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. 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 transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
CAUTION:
Before shifting out of PARK (P) you must fully
apply your regular brakes. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a
Trailerº in the Index.
Your vehicle has a Brake-Transmission Shift Interlock
(BTSI). You have to fully apply your regular brake
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is
in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transmission Operationº in
the Index.

yellowblue
2-32
Rear Window Washer/Wiper
This switch is located on the
instrument panel.
To turn the rear wiper on, slide the switch to either LO
or HI. For delayed wiping, slide the switch to LO. For
steady wiping, slide the switch to HI. To turn the wiper
off, slide the switch to OFF.
To wash the window, press the wash button located on
the switch. The switch must be in either the HI or
LO position.
The rear window washer uses the same fluid bottle as
the windshield washer. However, the rear window
washer will run out of fluid before the windshield
washer. If you can wash your windshield but not your
rear window, check your fluid level.
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 can
really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply your brakes, the cruise control will shut off.
CAUTION:

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 needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.

yellowblue
2-62 Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and may stay on for
several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on, or comes on when you're driving,
your vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system
warning light isn't on, you still have brakes, but you
don't have anti
-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes
and there's a problem with your regular brakes. See
ªBrake System Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is
too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The ªProblems on the Roadº section of this manual
shows you what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.

yellowblue
4-6
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.
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.
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.

yellowblue
4-7
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.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This is normal.
If there's a problem with the
anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.