warning OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS 1997 User Guide

Tachometer
I
4
RPM
x 1000
The tachometer shows your engine speed in revolutions
per minute
(rpm).
I NOTICE:
Do not run your engine at speeds in the red area,
or engine damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you
know they're working. If you
are familiar with this section, you should not be
alarmed when this happens.
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Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s
a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays
on when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s
advice. Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to ON or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt
is already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then
it will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt
is already buckled,
neither the chime nor the
light will come on.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light will stay on after you start
your engine, or come on
and you
will hear a chime
when you
are driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving enough
oil. The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have
it fixed immediately.
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as
a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when the engine is
running.
If it doesn't come on with the ignition on,
you may have a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have
it fixed right away. Don't keep driving
if the oil pressure is low.
If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You
or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon
as possible and have vow
vehicle serviced.
I
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
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Check Oil Light Passlock Warning Light
CHECK
OIL
If the light
comes on and
you hear a chime or stays on after starting your vehicle,
your engine oil level should
be checked.
THEFT
SYSTEM
This light will come on
briefly when
you turn
the ignition on. The light
will stay on until the
engine
starts.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut
off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring
it to the proper level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTE:
A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking on steep grades.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank.
It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned
off for a
considerable period
of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation
to drain back into the oil pan.
If the light flashes for several seconds, the Passlock
system has entered a tamper mode.
If the vehicle fails
to start, see “Passlock” in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system.
Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your retailer.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people dnve 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.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system,
this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want
to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface
is slippery until your
vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues --
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
I
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired - by
alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You'll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your
trip into an
unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You'll save time and energy. (See the
next
part, "Freeway Driving.")
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner
is busy enough to
need it. When a light turns green, and just before you
start to move, check both ways
for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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