tow Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1994 s User Guide

Features & Controls
100
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2. Adjust the seat, if necessary, before
setting the height control.
Rotate the HUD image height control
all the way
up, raising the image as
far as possible. Then rotate the HUD
image height control downward
so
the image is as low as possible but in
full view.
3. Slide the dimmer control toward
OFF until the HUD image is no
brighter than necessary.
To turn the
HUD
off, slide the HUD dimmer
control to
OFF.
If the sun comes out, or it becomes
cloudy, or
if you turn on your
headlights. vou mav need to adiust the HUD's
brightness using the HUD
dimmer control. Polarizing sunglasses
could make the HUD image harder
to see.
Irr .
Pushing the ENG/MET rocker switch
on the center console will switch the
HUD speedometer from English
(conventional) to metric units, or back
again.
Some vehicles may not be equipped
with the
ENG/MET switch.

1
Comfort Controls &Audio Svstems J
Your vehicle is equipped with side
window defogger vents located on the
window pillar. For additional side
window defogging, push the
BI-LEV
button, set the fan control on high and
aim the side vents on the instrument
panel toward the side windows. For
increased air flow to the side vents,
close the center vents.
$"'
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a
warming grid to remove fog from the
rear window. Press
R DEFOG to turn
on. The defogger will turn off
automatically after about
10 minutes of
use. If you turn
it on again, the defogger
will operate for about five minutes only.
You can also turn the defogger off by
turning
off the ignition or pressing the
R DEFOG button again.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle
license across the defogger grid on the
rear window.
I
NOTICE:
Don't use a razor blade or something
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.

Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads
and
in varying weather conditions .
We’ve also . included many other
useful tips on driving
.
Part 4
Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving ........................................................................\
............................ 126
Drunken Driving
........................................................................\
............................ 126
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
........................................................................\
......................................... 128
Anti-Lock Brakes
........................................................................\
......................... 129
Steering Tips
........................................................................\
................................ 130
Steering in Emergencies
........................................................................\
.............. 131
Passing ........................................................................\
......................................... 132
Driving
at Night ........................................................................\
............................... 134
Driving in the Rain ........................................................................\
.......................... 135
City Driving 137
Freeway Driving ........................................................................\
............................. 137
Hill and Mountain Roads
........................................................................\
............... 139
Winter Driving
........................................................................\
................................ 140
Towing a Trailer
........................................................................\
............................... 143
.. ........................................................................\
......................................
125

Towing a Trailer

Your Driving and the Road
146
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue
will not drop to the road if it becomes
separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by
the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave
just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains
to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes,
don’t try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system at all.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well or
at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to laow your rig. Acquaint yourself with
the feel
of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly
so responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure, and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand
to the right. Always
back up slowly and,
if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.

Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights 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
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 ltm/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have
an automatic transaxle with Overdrive,
you may want to drive in
3 instead of D
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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 trailer
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
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place choclts under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel choclts are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
choclts absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
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.
147

Mainfenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service :nore
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the
Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, belts, cooling
system, and brake adjustment. Each of
these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.

Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on the
road
.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
............... 150
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
.................................. 150
Towing
Your Oldsmobile ........................................................................\
............... 154
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
........................ 158
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
........................... 165
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
....................... 166
Compact Spare Tire
........................................................................\
........................ 172
If You’re Stuck: In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow ......................................................... 173
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149

Problems on the Road
154
12. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shofiing, Take
care-that they don’t touch each
other- or my other metal.
I Towing Your OUsmobile

When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition key
off. The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use
the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transaxle should be in
N
(Neutral) and the parking brake
released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the
front wheels, unless
you must. If the
vehicle must be towed on the front
wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56
ltm/h) or farther than 50 miles (80 ltm)
or your transaxle will be damaged. If
these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported on a
dolly.
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155