ignition OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1997 User Guide

Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Oldsmobile has a brake-transaxle shift interlock.
You have to apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition is in ON. See
“Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
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
move the shift into the gear you wish. (Press the shift
lever button before moving the shift lever.)
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
Shift QUt
Of PARK (P) , try this
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the key to OFF.
Apply and hold the regular brake until the end
of Step
4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
1 CAUTION:
Ih
I
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass
or other things that
can burn.
I
2-24
ProCarManuals.com

Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the SETDECEL button, then release the button
and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now cruise at the
higher speed.
Press the RESUME/ACCEL button. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you want, and then
.release the button.
To increase your speed in very
small amounts, press the RESUME/ACCEL button
for less than half a second and then release
it. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph
(1.6 kmk) faster.
The accelerate feature
will only work after you turn on
the cruise control by pushing
the SETDECEL button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0 Push the SETDECEL button until you reach the
lower speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small mounts, push the
SETDECEL button for less than half a second. Each
time you do this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 kmk) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot
off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control
on
steep hills.
Ending Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal;
0 Press the cruise control ON/OFF button.
Erasing the Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
2-34 ~~
ProCarManuals.com

Daytime Running Lamps / Automatic
Light
Control
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor below the defroster grille makes the
DRL and Automatic Light Control (ALC) work, so
be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL system will make
your low-beam headlamps come on at
a reduced
brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off,
0 The transaxle is not in PARK (P) and
0 The park brake is not set. When the
DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other
lamps won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t be
lit up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, the
ALC system will
turn your headlamps on to full brightness. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also
come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, the ALC system will
turn off your regular lamps, and your low-beam
headlamps change to the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DIU
off, set the park
brake while the ignition is off. Then start the vehicle.
The
DRL will stay off until you release the park brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn
on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
2-36
ProCarManuals.com

Illuminated EntryLExit System
When you lift the outside handle of either front door, or
open either rear door, the lamps inside your vehicle will
go on. These lamps will fade out after about
40 seconds,
or when the ignition is turned on after all doors have
been closed.
If the ignition was recently turned off, the
lamps will fade out after four seconds. These lamps
will also go on when you press the LOCK or
UNLOCK
button on the optional Remote Lock Control transmitter.
If the ignition has been off for less than two minutes,
the lamps inside your vehicle will stay on for about
15 seconds after your key is removed from the
ignition to provide an illuminated exit.
Mirror Reading Lamps
Press the switch on the lower front portion of the mirror
to turn on the lamp. Press the other side
of the switch to
turn the lamp off.
Three-Position Dome Lamp
The switch on this lamp has three positions. The ON
position will turn on the light. The DOOR position will
turn on the light whenever a door is opened. The OFF
position will shut off the lamp completely, even when
a door is opened.
Trunk Lamp
The trunk lamp comes on when you open your trunk.
Battery Saver
Your Oldsmobile is equipped with a battery saver
feature designed to protect your vehicle’s battery.
When any interior lamp
(trunk, reading, footwell or
glove box) is left on when the~ignition is turned
off, the
battery saver system will automatically shut the lamp
off
after 20 minutes. This will avoid draining the battery.
To reactivate the interior lamps, either:
The ignition must be turned on,
The activated lamp switch must be turned off and
then on or
0 A front door must be opened.
The battery saver feature will also be activated when
any door
of your vehicle is left open.
ProCarManuals.com

Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a
glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how
fast you’re going, how much fuel you’re using, and
many other things you’ll need to drive safely and
economically.
The main components of your instrument panel are:
A. Fog Lamp Switch
B. Instrument Panel intensity Control
C. Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
D. Cruise Control Switches (If Equipped)
E. Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) and Horn
F. Instrument Panel Cluster
G. Windshield Wipermasher Lever
H. Ignition Switch
J. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
K. Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
L. Fuse Panels
M. Climate Control System
N. Accessory Power Outlets
0. Gear Shift Lever
P. Audio System
Q. Park Brake Pedal
R. Tilt Wheel Lever
S. Hood Release Lever
T. Trunk Release Button
U. Instrument Panel Cupholder
2-47
-
ProCarManuals.com

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. The system
checks the air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you
if there is an electrical problem.
The system check includes the
air bag sensor, the air
bag modules, the wiring
and the crash sensing and
diagnostic module. For more information on the air
bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should
go out. This means
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine
or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. The
air bag readiness light should flash
for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system
indicator light will come
on when you turn
on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as a check to
show you it is worhg.
Then it should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and
you hear
a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. 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.
2-52
ProCarManuals.com

Brake System Warning Light
Your Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake system is divided
into two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part
can still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
ON. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you if there’s
a
problem.
If the light and chime come 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’’
in the Index.)
Your brake system may not be working 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.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come
on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
ProCarManuals.com

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will
come on when you turn
your ignition on or start your engine and it
will
stay on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on and the chime sounds, turn the
ignition to
OFF. Or, if the light comes on when you’re
driving, stop as soon as possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the system.
If
the light still stays on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your Oldsmobile 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” earlier in
this section.
ProCarManuals.com

Low Coolant Warning Light
m J
This light comes on briefly when you turn your ignition on.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your Oldsmobile is
equipped with a computer
which monitors operation of the fuel, ignition and
emission control systems.
If this light comes on and stays on and you hear a chime,
the vehicle should promptly be pulled
off the road and
the coolant level checked.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
If there are visible
signs
of steam, see “Engine Overheating” in the Index
before opening the hood. Have your vehicle serviced as
soon as you can. This system is called OBD
I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for
the life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The
CHECK ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem is apparent. This may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This system is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
ProCarManuals.com

I
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine
may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will
also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the .amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is
On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see
“If the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
retailer or qualified service center for service.
2-56
ProCarManuals.com