brake Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 s User Guide

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transaxle.
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)” in
the Index.
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 transaxle,
so you
can
pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
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 ignitian is in the RUN
position. 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
1. Turn the key to ACC.
2. Apply and hold the regular brake until the end of
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn the key to ON, to start the vehicle.
5. Shift to the drive gear you want.
6. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
shift out
of PARK
(P), try this:
Step 5.

Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 lun/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
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brake, the cruise control shuts off.
e
e
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 traffk.
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.
2-33

Setting Cruise Control
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’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 it.
The cruise control buttons are located on the center of
the steering wheel.
1. Press the cruise control ON/OFF button. Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you
set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake.
This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it. Once
you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more, you can
press the cruise control ACCEL
RESUME button for
about half a second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you press the ACCEL RESUME button longer than
half a second, the vehicle will keep going faster until
you release the switch or apply the brake.
So unless you
want to go faster, don’t hold down the
ACCEL
RESUME button.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET DECEL button and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
2-34

Daytime Running Lamps
Daytune 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.
The
DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is in the OFF position or you
have turned
on your parking lamps
The light sensor detects daytime light,
0 The parking brake is released and
The shift lever is not in PARK (P).
When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker,
parking lamps and instrument panel lights will not
be illuminated.
The
DRL system will remain off any time your vehicle
is in
PARK (P) or the parking brake is engaged.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll k\
now 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 SignaVMultifunction Lever
D. Cruise Control Switches (If Equipped)
E. Horn
F. Instrument Panel Cluster
G. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
H. Ignition Switch
I. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
J. Fuse Panels
K. Climate Control System
L. Accessory Power Outlets
M. Gear Shift Lever
N. Audio System
0. Park Brake Pedal
P. Tilt Wheel Lever
Q. Hood Release Lever
R. Trunk Release Button
S. Instrument Panel Cupholder
2-47

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
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. 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, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on and the chime sounds 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 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” earlier
in
this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly 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.
2-53

Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device
in
your Oldsmobile: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in
the Index.) Defensive driving really means “be ready
for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the floor
-- makes proper defensive driving more
difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this,
or
pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself.
These simple defensive driving techniques could save
your life.
4-2

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.
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 (100 krn/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.
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.
4-7

Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out
in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. 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. ‘Me
anb-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.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-8