ignition Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 s User Guide

Fog Lamps
The button for your fog.
lamps is on the instrument
panel, to the left of the
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steering wheel, beside
the instrument panel
intensity control.
When using fog lamps, the ignition must be on, as well
as the parking lamps or the low-beam headlamps.
Ish the top of the button to turn the fog lamps on. An
indicator light on the button will glow when the fog
.lamps
are on. Push the top of the button again to turn the
The fog lamps will
turn off whenever the high-beam
-headlamps
are turned on. When the high-beams are
turned
off, the fog lamps will come on again.
fog
lamps
off.
Interior Lamps . ..
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
You can brighten or dim the
instrument panel cluster
lights by rotating the switch,
located to the left
of the
steering wheel.
Illuminated EntryExit System
When you open any 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 vehicle
symbol or
UNLOCK button on the optional remote lock
control transmitter.
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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 vehicle 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
A front door must be opened.
The battery saver feature will also be activated when
any door of your vehicle is left open.
then
on or
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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
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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.
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.
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The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds,
then it will flash for about
55 seconds. 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 mans
the svstem is rea
, ..
If the driver’s belt is already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on. 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.
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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.
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Low Coolant Warning Light
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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This light comes on briefly
when you
turn your
ignition to
ON.
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.

Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called
OBD 11 (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.
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.
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust or fuel system of your vehicle or the
replacement of the original tires with other than
those
of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission controls
and may cause the light to come
on.
modifications to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty. This
may also result
in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.

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 may be required.
0 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.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index).
Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to
run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may
go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to
turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to
turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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 en-gine 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.
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Passlock Warning Light Low Washer Light
This light
will come on
briefly when you
turn the
ignition on. The light
will stay on until the
engine starts.
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.
Cruise Light
CRUISE
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
LOW
WASH
The LOW WASH light will
come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition.
It will also come on, chime and stay on if the fluid
reservoir is less than one-third full.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
SERVICE
VEHICLE
SOON
This light will come on
briefly when you turn
on the ignition.
It will stay on
if it detects a problem on the vehicle, such
as a
DRL or an ALC malfunction. If this happens, see
your retailer service department as soon as possible.
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