stop start OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1997 User Guide

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or
turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on
dry roads.
And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious
if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show
signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Oldsmobile retailer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will
also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash
for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers
behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
I NOTICE:
Do not tow on steep continuous grades exceeding
6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher than normal
engine and transaxle temperatures may result
and damage your vehicle. Frequent stops are
very important to allow the engine and transaxle
to cool.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 kmk) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gage.
If the indicator
is in the red area,
turn off the air conditioning (if you
have
this option) to reduce engine load (see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index).
4-38
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a
hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and shift into PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a
Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that
are especially important in trailer
operation
are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
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1'
lul Service and Appearance Care ....................... 6-1
Service and Owner Publications
.................... 8-9
Service Publications
.............................. 8-9
Servicing Your
Air Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile ........ 1-27
Sheet Metal Damage
............................ 6-47
ShiftLever
.................................... 2-17
Shifting
Automatic Transaxle
.......................... 2- 17
Into Park (P)
................................. 2-22
OUtofPark
................................... 2-24
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
..................... 1-15
Signaling Turns
................................ 2-28
Skidding
...................................... 4-13
Sound Equipment. Adding
.............. 2-14.3-22. 6-50
Spare Tire. Compact
............................. 5-32
Specifications and Capacities
...................... 6-57
Specifications. Engine
........................... 6-58
Speech Impaired. Customer Assistance
............... 8-4
Speedometer
................................... 2-49
SRS
......................................... 1-21
Stains. Cleaning
............................. ' ... 6-42
Starter Switch Check
............................ 7-39
Starting
Your Engine ............................ 2-14
Steam
........................................ 5-12
Steering
...................................... 4-10
In Emergencies ............................... 4- 10
Power
....................................... 4-9
Tips
......................................... 4-9
Wheel. Tilt
.................................. 2-27
Stoplamp Bulb Replacement
...................... 6-29
Storage Compartments
........................... 2-41
Storage. Vehicle
................................ 6-26
Stuck
In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow .................. 5-33 Sunvisors
.................................... 2-43
Sunroof
....................................... 2-45
Supplemental Restraint System
.................... 1-21
Surge Tank Coolant
..................................... 5-14
How to Add Coolant
.......................... 5-16
Pressure Cap
................................. 6-19
Symbols. Vehicle
.................................. v
Synchronization. Remote Lock Control
............... 2-9
Tachometer
.................................. 2-50
Taillamp Bulb Replacement
....................... 6-29
TapePlayerCare
............................... 3-22
Theft
......................................... 2-11
Theft-Deterrent Feature,
CD Player ................ 3-19
THEFTLOCK"
................................ 3-19
Thermostat
.................................... 6-19
Third Gear, Automatic Transaxle
................... 2-19
Tilt Steering Wheel
............................. 2-27
Time, Setting
the ................................ 3-7
Tire Chains
.................................... 6-40
TireLoading
................................... 4-30
Tire-Loading Information Label
................... 4-30
Tires
......................................... 6-32
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-38
BuyingNew
................................. 6-36
ChangingaFlat
.............................. 5-20
Cleaning
.................................... 6-46
Compact Spare
............................... 5-32
Inflation
.................................... 6-33
Inflationcheck ............................... 7-37
Inspection and Rotation ........................ 6-34
Chains
..................................... 6-40
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