steering Oldsmobile Bravada 2003 s User Guide

Windshield Washer
(Windshield Washer): To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, press the windshield washer paddle. The
wipers will clear the window and then either stop
or return to your preset speed.
~
A CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer fluid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
I
Rear Window WasherMliper
This control is located to
the right of the steering
wheel on the instrument
panel.
To turn the rear wiper on, turn the control
to either 1 , 2,
or 3. For delayed wiping, turn the control to 1 or 2.
For steady wiping, turn the control to 3. To turn the wiper
off, turn the control to 0.
To wash the rear window, press the washer symbol
located in the center of the control.
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 the fluid level.
3-1 0

Exterior Lamps
Your exterior lamps knob
is located on your
instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
/I (Off): Turn the knob to this symbol and release it to
turn
off the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) and the
automatic headlamps. An indicator will illuminate when
the position is selected.
:::. (Automatic DRUAHL): Turning the knob to this
symbol puts the system into automatic headlamp mode.
An indicator will illuminate when the position is
selected.
coo: (Parking Lamps): Turn the knob to this symbol to
manually turn on the following:
...
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
so (Headlamps): Turn the knob to this symbol to turn
on all the lamps listed
as well as the headlamps.
3-1 4

Steering Wheel Climate Controls
You can adjust the fan speed and temperature of the
front climate control system by using the buttons located
on your steering wheel.
&? (Fan): Press the up or down arrow on this switch to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
Climate Controls Personalization
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you can store and recall the climate
control settings for temperature, air delivery mode and
fan speed for two different drivers. The personal
choice settings recalled are determined by the
transmitter used to enter the vehicle. After the button
with the unlock symbol on a remote keyless entry
transmitter is pressed, the climate control will adjust to
the last settings of the identified driver. The settings
can also be changed by pressing one of the memory
buttons
(1 or 2) located on the driver’s door. When
adjustments are made,
automatically saved for the new
settings are
the driver.
& (Temperature): Press the up or down arrow on this
switch to increase or decrease the temperature of
the air flowing through the system.
3-27

Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle may have this feature. The DIC display
is located on the instrument panel cluster above
the steering wheel. The DIC can display information
such as the trip odometer, fuel economy and
personalization features. The DIC buttons are located
on the steering wheel.
B. Fuel Information: This button will display the
current range, average fuel economy, instant fuel
economy and engine oil life.
C.
Personalization: This button will change personal
D.
Select: This button resets certain functions and
options available
on your vehicle.
turns
off or acknowledges messages on the DIC.
A. Trip Information: This button will display the
odometer, trip odometer and the timer.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay the DIC will display the current driver and the
information that was last displayed before the engine
was turned
off.
If a problem is detected, a warning message will appear
on the display. Pressing the select button will
acknowledge any current warning or service messages.
The DIC has different modes which can be accessed
by pressing the four buttons on the DIC. These buttons
are trip information, fuel information, personalization
and select. The button functions are detailed in
the following.
3-43

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this
feature, certain radio
functions can be operated
by using the controls
on your steering wheel.
AM/FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FMI
and FM2. When playing a cassette tape or compact
disc, press this button
to listen to the radio.
ooju (Program): Press this button to tune to the next
preset radio station. When playing a cassette tape,
press this button
to play the other side of the tape. When
using the
CD changer, this button will seek to the
next track.
-I (Volume): Press the up or the down arrow to
increase or to decrease volume.
QVQ Distortion
You may experience audio distortion in the
IR headphones when operating cellular phones,
scanners,
CB radios, Global Positioning Systems
(GPS)*, two-way radios, mobile fax, or walkie talkies.
It may be necessary to turn
off the DVD player
when operating one of these devices in or near the
vehicle.
* Excludes the Onstar@ System.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations
to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble
to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
3-89

Section 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 Assist System (TAS)
........................... 4.9
Locking Rear Axle
........................................ 4.10
Steering
...................................................... 4.10
Off-Road Recovery
....................................... 4-12
Passing
....................................................... 4. 1 3
Loss of Control ............................................. 4-14
Operating Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
Off
Paved Roads ............................................ 4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
.............. 4-28
Driving at Night
............................................ 4-27 City
Driving
.................................................. 4-31
Freeway Driving
........................................... 4-32
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
....................... 4-33
Highway Hypnosis
........................................ 4-34
Hill and Mountain Roads
................................ 4-34
Winter Driving
.............................................. 4-36
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
.............................................. 4-40
Towing Your Vehicle
..................................... 4-41
Recreational Vehicle Towing
........................... 4-41
Loading Your Vehicle
.................................... 4-41
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment
....... 4-44
Towing a Trailer
........................................... 4-45
Towing .......................................................... 4-41
4- 1

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, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who
has been drinking
- driver or passenger - is in a
crash, that person’s chance
of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if the person had
not been drinking.
Drinking and then driving 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.
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 Assist System
(TAS) on page 4-9.
4-5

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. 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 feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise, 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.
4-8

To turn the system on or
off, press the TAS OFF/ON
button located near the
shift lever.
If you used the
button to turn the system
off, the TRAC OFF light on
the button will come on
and stay on.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The TRAC OFF light on the
button should go off.
If desired, you can change the TAS automatic
engagement feature
so that the system will not come on
automatically when the engine is started. To do
so:
1.
Park the vehicle with the ignition off and the
2. Turn the ignition to RUN; do not start the engine.
3. Apply the brake pedal, press the accelerator
transmission in
PARK (P).
pedal
to the floor and then press the TAS OFF/ON
button and hold it down for at least six seconds.
4. Release the TAS button and both pedals. The next time you
start your vehicle, the TAS will not
automatically come on. You can restore the automatic
feature by using the same procedure. Whether the TAS
is set
to come on automatically or not, you can always
turn the system on or off by pressing the TAS on/off
button.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one
of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
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.
5. Turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds.
4-1 0

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.
See
Traction Assist System (TAS) on page 4-9.
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.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and find
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You
can avoid these problems by braking
- if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action
- steering around the
problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
See
Braking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as much
speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem,
to the left or right depending
on the space available.
4-1 1