stop start Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 Owner's Manuals

Passlock@
Your vehicle is equipped with the passlock
theft-deterrent system.
Passlock
is a~passive theft-deterrent system. The system
is armed once the key is removed from the ignition.
Passlock enables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned with a valid key.
If a correct key is not used, fuel
is disabled.
During
normal operation, the THEFT SYSm light
will go
off after the engine is started.
If the THEFT SYSTEM light flashes, wait until the light
stops flashing before starting the engine.
If the THEFT SYSTEM light comes on while the engine
is running, a problem has been detected and the system
may need service. See your retailer
for service.
In an emergency, cal
Assistance Center at 1 the Oldsmobile Roadside
1-800-442-OLDS
(6537).
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
‘70reak-in.” But
it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow -- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
See
“Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index for
more information.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
0 Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
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2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but then stops), it
could be flooded with too much gasoline, Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way
to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for up to
15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your retailer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting
and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-16

Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Oldsmobile has a
Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock (BTSI). You have to
apply your regular brake before you can shift from
PARK
(P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
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 lever into the gear you wish. (Press the
shift lever button before moving the shift lever.) See
“Shifting Out of PARK
(P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle,
see “If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racings’ (running
at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal; your vehicle cdd move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE: I
Do not shift out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine racing. Your transaxle can be
damaged
by doing this and will not be covered by
your warranty. Shift your transaxle according to
the instructions in this manual.
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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.
2-53

Playing a Compact Disc
With the ignition on, insert a disc partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull it
in and the disc
should begin playing.
If you want to insert a CD when
the ignition is
off, first press EJECT or RCL.
The CD player will play either normal-size discs or
the smaller
8 cm discs with an adapter.
Note that when the disc
is inserted, CD will be
displayed. When the disc is playing, a box will appear
around CD on the display.
If you select a tone setting for
your CD, it will be activated each time you play a CD.
As each new track starts to play, the track number will
appear in the display.
If E (error) and a number appear on the radio display
and the disc comes out, it could be that:
0 E20: The road is too rough. The disc should play
E20: The disc is duly, scratched, wet or upside
0 E20: The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t be
corrected, please contact your retailer.
If your radio
when the road
is smoother.
down. and try again. displays
an error number, write
it down and provide it to
your retailer when reporting the problem.
REV (1): Press and hold this button to quickly reverse
within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume.
The display will show elapsed time.
FWD (2): Press and hold this button to quickly advance
within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume.
The display will show elapsed time.
RDM (5): Press this button to hear the tracks in random,
rather than sequential, order.
RDM will appear on the
display when you press this button.
TONE: Press this button to select a tone while playing a
compact disc. The tone will be automatically set
whenever you play a compact disc.
SEEK: Press the down arrow to go to the start of the
current track if more than eight seconds have played.
Press the up arrow
to go to the next track. If you hold
the button or press it more than once, the player
will
continue moving rearward or forward through the disc.
SCAN: Press this button to listen to each selection for a
few seconds. The disc will go
to the next selection, stop
for a few seconds, then go on to the next selection. Press
this button again to stop scanning. The sound will mute
while scanning, SCAN will appear on the display.
3-17

Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
. two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
lvot necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traf%c signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space
if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your
turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot.

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.
4-16

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need additional wiring. Check with your 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
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 km/h) 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 to reduce
engine load (see “Engine Overheating” in the Index).
4-38

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
hailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the chocks are in place, release the regular
brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Wen You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a
Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 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.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake and
shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-39

As shown in the chart, SAE 5W-30 is best for your
vehicle. However, you can use
SAE 1OW-30 if it’s going
to be
0°F (-18°C) or above. These numbers on an oil
container show its viscosity, or thickness.
Do not use
other viscosity oils, such as
SAE 2OW-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
“Starburst” symbol. Failure
to use the
recommended
oil can result in engine damage not
covered
by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area where the temperature falls below
-20°F (-29”C), consider using either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an
SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your retailer is ready to
advise
if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short tripkity
maintenance schedule:
0
0
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 h).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most
trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer
or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle
is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other cornmercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter
every 3,000 miles (5
000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first.
6-15