brakes Oldsmobile Bravada 2003 Owner's Manuals

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
4ClD COULD BAlTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR COULD FLAME
'\I/'
EXPLODE
BAlTERY LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECT OCCUPANT
48: @
DO NOT TWIST SAFETY
BELT WHEN AlTACHlNG
MOVE SEAT FULLY
\$!!
REARWARD* /z
SECURE
CHILD SEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
THEN SECURE CHILD SEAT
n
DO NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING
POSITION
DO NOT INSTALL A
FORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING
POSITION
DOOR LOCK UNLOCK
-
I
1
L
LIGHTING - MASTER SWITCH 8- / ,
SIGNALS @a
TURN
LAMPS
PC
DAYTIME . -n
RUNNING ''Z;
LAMPS
LAMPS
#O
ENGINE
COOLANT TEMP
CHARGING
fl
BAlTERY SYSTEM
BRAKE
(@)
COOLANT d
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
l.fJ
ACCESS
ENGINE
COOLANT FAN
OWNERS MANUAL
SERVICE
MANUAL
V

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever
PARK (P): This position locks the rear wheels. It’s
the best position to use when you start the engine because your vehicle can’t move easily.
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 “Shifting Into Park (P)”
in the
Index. If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer”
in the Index. Ensure
the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transmission
shift lock control system. You have to fully apply the
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. Move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-27.
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
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page
4-40.
2-22

NEUTRAL (N): In this position, the engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use N ITRAL
(N) only.
1 ifting into c _. 2 gear w e your engine is
“racing” (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 into a drive gear while your engine
is racing.
Nofice: Damage to your transmission caused by
shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with
the engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
On cold days, approximately 32°F (OOC) or colder, your
transmission is designed
to shift differently until the
engine reaches normal operating temperature. This is
intended
to improve heater performance.
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 the
0 Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down
to the next gear and have more power.
DRIVE (D) can be used when towing a trailer, carrying
a heavy load, driving on steep hills or for off-road driving.
You may want
to shift the transmission to THIRD (3)
or, if necessary, a lower gear selection if the
transmission shifts
too often.
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal driving,
however it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).
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 the brakes
off and on.
You can also use SECOND (2) for starting the vehicle
from a stop on slippery road surfaces.
2-23

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
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: If your wheels won’t turn, 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.
Shift Lock Release
This vehicle is equipped with a shift lock release
system. If your vehicle has a dead battery and you need
to have your vehicle towed, there is a shift lock
release lever that will allow you to move the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
I o access the shift lock release lever, do the following:
1. Press on the sides of the boot around the shift
2. Lift up the boot on the shift lever and you will see
lever
to release the boot.
an orange lever.
3. Lift the orange lever up and move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P).
4. Snap the shift lever boot back in place.
All-Wheel Drive
Your vehicle may have this feature. There is no lever or
switch to engage
or disengage the front axle. It is
fully automatic and adjusts as needed for road
conditions. Your vehicle has an active transfer case
allowing two-wheel-drive operation on dry roads.
The transfer case will shift automatically into all-wheel
drive on slippery surfaces. You may feel an extra
shift when the all-wheel drive engages.
2-24

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 “torque
lock.” 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
Shifting Into Park
(P) on page 2-25.
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)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply the regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See
Automatic Transmission
Operation
on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever. Push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then press
the shift lever button and move the shift lever into the
gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to LOCK.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as possible.
2-27

Cruise Control
I (On): Move the switch to this position to turn the
cruise control system on.
‘r (Resume/Accelerate): Move the switch to this
position
to resume a set speed or to accelerate.
(Set): Press this button, located at the end
of the
lever,
to set a speed.
0 (Off): This position turns the cruise control system
off and cancels memory of a set speed.
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.
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.
If you leavc our cruise control on wher
- ou’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.
3-1 1

If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle
on page 4-41.
. ,UT brake sl ,,em m,, not be WOL ... ng
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident.
If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
I
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.
A chime may also
sound when the light
comes on.
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
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-33
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.
3-34

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

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 (1 00 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

Anti-lock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. 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
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light
on page 3-34.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there’s a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come on
accompanied by a IO-second chime. The lights
and chime will come on each time the ignition
is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service. Let’s say the
road is wet and you’re driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that 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 both rear wheels.
4-7