window Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 s User Guide

Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger
uses a warming grid
to remove fog from the
rear window.
Press the defogger switch. The indicator light will
glow. The rear window defogger will turn itself
off
after about 10 minutes after the first time the button is
pressed, and after
5 lninutes each additional time the
button is pressed. You can turn the defogger off by
pressing
the button again or turning off the ignition.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license across the
defogger grid on the rear window.
NOTICE:
Don’t use a razor blade or anything else sharp on
the inside
of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut
or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle.
Your vehicle also has the
flow-through ventilation system.
Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies outside
air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the
air conditioning
fan is running.
I
I

Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lumps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires
all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-21

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
0 Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to
time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
4-27

~~ ~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~
~~~ ~ . ~~
-Run
your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for
a while.
' Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
' out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
.. every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your'destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
There are two ways to tow your vehicle from the front.
To tow your vehicle with a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
a Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute
or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or
THIRD
(3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on, you
, can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for
two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-14

Tire Chains
NOTICE: L
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowIy and foIlow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them,
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast
or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage
your vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if you strike a
match or get them on a hot
part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous
if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from a container to clean your
vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
e Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any
of these unless this manual says you can. !
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
6-42

Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft
cloth or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface finish.
Care of Safety Belts
I /! CAUTION:
Do not bleach or dye safety belts. If you do, it
may severely weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts
only with mild soap and
lukewarm water.
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleamd often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part
No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco smoke and dust films on
interior glass.
Don't use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped
off later. If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached acro~ss the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or
if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade
or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon
Ami@ Powder (non-scratching
glass cleaning powder),
GM Part No. 1050011. The
windshield is clean
if beads do not form when you rinse
it with water.

Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check with your retailer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle, see “Servicing
Your Air Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile” in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by fuses, one for each
headlamp, in the fuse block.
An electrical overload will
cause the lamps to
turn off. If this happens, have your
headlamp wiring checked right away.
.dshield Wipers
rne windshield wiper motor is protected by an internal
circuit breaker and a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to
heavy snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor cools.
If the overload is caused by some electrical
problem and not snow, etc., be sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse block protect the power
windows and other power accessories. When the current
load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes,
protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed or
goes away.
6-52

Instrument Panel Fuse Block - Right
SEE OTHER END CAP FOR FUSE PULLER AND SPARE FUSES
A. INST LPS E. CRUISE SW C. HVAC BLOWER D. CRUISE
E. FOG LPS F. INT LPS GtRGUIT G. RDO BATT H. SUNROOF
G)
H>
CIRCUIT BRKR
PWR
mows
MICRO RELAY
FOG LPS
Usage
Instrument Panel Lights, Dimtiiler
Cruise Control
Climate Control System
Cruise Control
Fog Lamps
Interior
Lamps, Body Function
Control Module
Radio
Sunroof
Power Windows
Fog
Lamps
6-55

Section 9 Index
Accessory Power outlets ........................ 2-44
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle ...... 6-3
Adjuster. Seat
.............................. 1.2. 1.52
AirBag
....................................... 1-20
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-24
How it Works
................................ 1-22
Location
.................................... 1-22
Readiness Light
......................... 1.22. 2.52
Servicing
................................... 1-26
What Makes it Inflate
.......................... 1-24
What Will You See After it Inflates
............... 1-25
When Should it Inflate
......................... 1-24
Air Bag Readiness Light .................... 1.22. 2.52
Aircleaner
.................................... 6-16
Air Conditioning
................................. 3-3
Air Conditioning Refrigerants ..................... 6-60
Alignment and Balance. Tire
...................... 6-40
Aluminum Wheels. Cleaning
...................... 6-48
Antenna. Fixed
................................. 3-22
Antifreeze
..................................... 6-18
hti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
................ 2.53. 4.7
Brakes
................................. 2.53. 4.7
Anti.Theft. Radio
.............................. 3-18 Appearance Care
............................... 6-42
Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-50
ArbitrationProg
ram .............................. 8-7
Audio Equipment, Adding
.............. 2-16,3-21, 6-52
Audio Systems
.................................. 3-6
Auto-Down Window
............................ 2-28
Automatic Light Control
......................... 2-37
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
....................................... 6-17
Operation
................................... 2-18
Park Mechanism Check ........................ 7-29
Shifting
..................................... 2-18
Backing up with
a Trailer ....................... 4-37
Battery
....................................... 6-27
Jump Starting
................................. 5-3
Replacement. Remote Lock Control
............... 2-9
Saver
...................................... 2-39
BBB Auto Line
................................. 8-7
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
.................... 4-21
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-7
Warnings .................................... 5-3
Blizzard ...................................... 4-26
9-1