engine Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1996 s Owner's Guide

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~ ~~~ ~ Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
_. ~~~~ ~ ~~
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Anti-Lock Brakes
Your
vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. 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.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel the
1 system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
~ is normal.
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
Use 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
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops dr the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Variable Assist Steering (Option)
This steering system provides lighter steering effort for
parking and when driving at low speeds. Steering effort
will increase at higher’speeds for improved road feel.
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:

A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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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 from 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 raining.
1 Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful 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.)
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Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you
are going
slower than you actually are.
I !
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in. Is
your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in Oldsmobile retail facilities all across North America.
They’ll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before
a trip:
0 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?
0 Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 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?
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on’ the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let
it happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in
less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First,
be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
,
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Hill and Mountain Road’s
Your moving’ Scan the road ahead and to Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently. driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.

If you don't shift down, your bdes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work.weILYou Gould then
have poor braking.or even none going doh a
hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes. on a steep downhill slope.
L
a
a
I
'Coasting dowddl in NEUTRAL (N, or with
the ignition-off is dangerous Your brakes will
have to do
all the work of slowing .down. They
could get
so hot that they wouldn't work well.
Yoii would then have poor braking or even none
going down
a hill. You could crash. Always have
your engine
running and your vehicle ;S gear ' .
when you go downhill. _-

,
I If Yodre Caught in a Blizzard
I 0
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
seiious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle udess you
know €or sure that you we near help'
and ysu
can hike through-the snbw. Here are some
things to do to sumnion help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
0 ' Turn on your hazard flashers. I
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.
Ptit
on ekra clothing or wrap a blanket pound you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, mgs, floor
mats
-- anm.ng you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You c& run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. x

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.
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 awhile.
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
s_o until help comes.
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~ ~~
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to
do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving. A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
0 Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
0 Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
0
0
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Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 kmk) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers
(or no more than 55 mph (90 W)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 lbs. (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy;
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend
on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
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e.