brakes Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1995 Owner's Manuals

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I!” sure the shift lever
is fully into PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your Oldsmobile has a
!brake-transaxle shift interlock. You must fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
Bwhen the ignition is in
RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK.(P), ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing
it all the way into PARK (P) while keeping the brake
pedal pushed down. Release the shift lever button
if you
have a console shift. Then move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P), being sure to press the shift lever button if
you have a console shift. See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” in the Index.
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
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
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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.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.

DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. It is the
Overdrive position. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than 35 mph (56 M), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
- Going about 35 mph (56 kmh) or more, push the
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more
power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems tb start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to
shift gears as you go faster,
something
may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for
higher speeds. THIRD
(3): THIRD (3) is like DRIVE (D),
but you
never
go into Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose THIRD
(3)
instead of DRIVE (D):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on hills.
It can help control your speed
as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
between gears.
lr
brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle. Use
DRIVE
@) or THIRD (3) as much aspossible.
Don’t
shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.

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FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power - .
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills,
or in deep. snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
..
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might ,happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud- or were’up against
a solid
object. Youxould damage your ,transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold.
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes.or
shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
The parking brake uses the brakes on the rear wheels.
I To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
clown with your right foot and push
the parking brake
pd with your left foot. men you lift your left foot, the
parking brake pedal will follow it
to the released position.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage ‘other
parts of your vehicle.

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 1,eave the driver’s
seat.
To fmd 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.
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to. have ,
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressdre from the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift .
lever out of PARK (P). Your
Oldsmobile has
a brake-transaxle shift. interlock.
You must fully apply your regular brakes before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN. See
“Automatic Transaxle”
in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing it all the way into PARK (P)
whil‘e keeping the brake pedal pushed down. Release the
shift lever button if you have a console shift. Then move
the shift lever out
of PARK (P), being sure to press the
shift lever button’
if you have a console shift.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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Anti-Lock Brakes (A S)
Your Oldsmobile has an advanced electronic braking
system that
will help prevent a braking skid.
This light on the instrument
panel will come on briefly
when you start vour vehicle.
RPM X1000
When you start your vehicle, or when you begin to drive
away, you may hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise. And you may even notice that your brake pedal
moves a little while this is going on. This
is the ABS
system testing itself. If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, the anti-lock brake system
warning light will stay on or flash.
See “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light”
in the
Index.
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Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet.
You're driving safely. Suddenly
an animal juqps 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 the
rear wheels. The
anti-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.

Remember: Anti-iock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal.
If you get too
close to the .vehicle in front of you, you won’t have time
to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly. slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though
you have anti-lock brakes.
,_ Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops
or the system is not, functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
. ..
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise, but this is
normal. When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake
pressure to help avoid a braking skid, the LOW TRAC
light will come’on., See “Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light”
in the Index.
Braking .,in Emergencies
Usti your anti-lock braking system when you’need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
.‘
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the samelaws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you
turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, $the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.

Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
--
steering and acceleration -- have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much of those places. You can lose
control.
What should you do if’this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out
from between
parked cars and stops right in front of,you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if’you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s
the time for evasive action
-- steering around the
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should problem.
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
Your Oldsmobile can perform very well in emergencies
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less like these. First apply your brakes. It is better to remove
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
as much speed as you can from a possible collision.
If you need to reduce your speed as’you approach a Then steer around the problem, to the left or right’
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front depending
on the, space available.
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to .adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
cye. Maintain a reasonabie, steady speed. Wait
to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoklder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far’enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right$ lane ,change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror
is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be,farther away from
you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a tihe on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it.may
be slowing down or starting tu turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
cmease a,little to the right.
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Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what ’
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet .the road
to do what ‘the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an es-c-gpe route or area
.~f less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possibk.
The three types of skids correspondjo your
Oldsmobile’s three control systems. In the braking skid
your wheels aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in
a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid too much throttle causes the driving wheels to,spin.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning doesn’t .happen often. But
it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more
is low. It can happen if a lot, of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections froin trees, telephone
poles,
or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice
is to slow down when it is iaining.
Some Other Rainy weather Tips
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,Turn on your low-beam headlights -- not just your
parking lights
-- to help make you ,more visible to
others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially carefbl when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and, be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)