steering OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 1999 User Guide

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Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use it.
1. Press the CRUISE
button on the right side
of the instrument panel
to turn it on. A light on
the button will indicate
that the system is on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the COAST SET
button on your steering
wheel and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
The CRUISE light on the instrument panel cluster will
come on after the cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. It will go off when you:

step lightly on the brake pedal,

press CLEAR on the steering wheel or

press the CRUISE button on the instrument panel.
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Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course shuts off
the cruise control. But you don't need to reset it.
Once you're going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
press the RES ACCEL
button on your steering
wheel. You'll go right back
up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the COAST SET button on the steering wheel,
then release the button and the accelerator pedal.
You'll now cruise at the higher speed.
Press the RES ACCEL button on the steering wheel.
Hold it there until you get up to the speed you want
and then release the button. (To increase your speed
in very small amounts, press the RES ACCEL button
for less than half a second and then release it.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will only work after you set the
cruise control speed by pressing the COAST SET button
on the steering wheel.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

Press the COAST SET button on the steering wheel
until you reach the lower speed you want, then
release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, press the
COAST SET button on the steering wheel for less
than a half second. Each time you do this, you'll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise speed you set earlier.
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Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don't use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to cancel the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal,

Press CLEAR on the steering wheel or

Press the CRUISE button on the instrument panel.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.Exterior Lamps
The lamp controls are located on the multifunction
lever on the left of the steering wheel. They control
these systems:

Headlamps

Taillamps

Parking Lamps

License Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights
Turn the end of the lever to this symbol to turn on
the headlamps and other operating lamps.
Turn the end of the lever to this symbol to turn
on the parking and other operating lamps without
the headlamps.
Turn the end of the lever to OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound if you open the driver's
door when you turn the ignition switch to OFF or ACC
with the lamps on.
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Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You'll know how fast
you're going, about how much fuel is in your tank and many other things you need to drive safely and economically.
The main components of your instrument panel are:
A. Side Window Defogger Vent
B. Instrument Panel Outlets
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
D. Instrument Panel Cluster
E. Windshield Wipers/Washer Fluid Lever
F. Cruise Control (CRUISE) Button
G. Hazard Switch
H. Instrument Panel Fuse Block
I. Instrument Panel Dimmer
J. Fog Lamp Button
K. Fuel Door Release
L. Trunk Lid ReleaseM. Storage Bin
N. Trip Odometer
O. Tilt Wheel
P. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
Q. Horn
R. Cruise Control Controls (RES ACCEL, CLEAR,
COAST SET)
S. Ignition Switch
T. Accessory Power Outlet
U. Comfort Controls
V. Audio System
W. Glove Box
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Section 3 Comfort Controls
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-3 Air Conditioning
3
-4 Air Conditioning with Automatic and
Auxiliary Temperature Control (If Equipped)
3
-8 Rear Window Defogger
3
-8 Ventilation System
3
-9 Audio Systems
3
-9 Setting the Clock
3
-10 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player and
Automatic Tone Control
3
-14 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Automatic Tone
Control (If Equipped)3
-20 Trunk-Mounted CD Changer (Option)
3
-23 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-26 Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
3
-26 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-27 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-28 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-29 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-29 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-29 Backglass Antenna
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3-26 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
(If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this
feature, you can
control certain radio
functions using the
buttons on your
steering wheel.
VOL: Press the up or down arrow to increase or
decrease volume.
SEEK: Press this button to tune to a higher radio
station. When playing a cassette tape or compact disc,
press SEEK to hear the next selection. There must be
at least a three
-second gap between selections on a
cassette tape.PROG: Press this button to tune in a higher preset radio
station. When playing a cassette tape, press PROG to
hear the other side of a tape that is playing. When using
the CD changer, this button will seek the next selection.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
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.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-5 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-12 Steering
4
-14 Off-Road Recovery
4
-14 Passing
4
-16 Loss of Control
4
-17 Driving at Night
4
-19 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads4
-21 City Driving
4
-22 Freeway Driving
4
-23 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-24 Highway Hypnosis
4
-25 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-27 Winter Driving
4
-31 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-32 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-34 Towing a Trailer
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The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. ªI'll be carefulº isn't the
right answer. What if there's an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There's something else about drinking and driving that
many people don't know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person's chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious
-- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don't drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you're with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
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The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you've
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See ªAutomatic Transaxleº in the Index.
When the system is on, this
warning light will come on
to let you know if there's
a problem.
See ªEnhanced Traction System Warning Lightº in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn the system off if
you ever need to. (You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See
ªRocking Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
To turn the system on or off,
press the TRACTION
CONTROL button on
the console.
Your Enhanced Traction System is automatically
activated when you turn the ignition on. This switch will
activate/deactivate the Enhanced Traction System. If
you need to disable the system, such as when you are
stuck and are rocking your vehicle back and forth, push
this switch. See ªStuck: In Sand, Mud or Snowº in
the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
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.
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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.
Magnetic Speed Sensitive Steering
This steering system provides lighter steering effort for
parking and when driving at speeds below 20 mph
(32 km/h). 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 ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws 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. Refer to ªTraction Control Systemº or
ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in the Index.
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.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
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