light OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994 User Guide

Features & Controls
50
Battery Replacement
Under normal use, the batteries in your
key chain transmitter should last about
two years.
You can tell the batteries are weak if the
transmitter won‘t work at the normal
range in any location.
If you have to get
close to your vehicle before the
transmitter works, it’s probably time
to
change the batteries.
To Replace Batteries in the Remote
Lock Control:
1. Insert a coin into the slot in the back
of the transmitter, and turn
counterclockwise to open the cover.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Remove and replace the two 3-volt
batteries
(DL 20 16).
4. Reassemble the transmitter.
5. Check the transmitter operation.
I Illuminated Entry System
(OPTION)
This option comes with the optional
remote lock control system.
When you open the driver’s door, by
itself or in combination with any
passenger door or the liftgate, the
interior lights will come on and then
gradually dim to off
10 seconds after the
kt door is closed.
(If the driver’s door
has not been opened, the interior lights
will immediately dim to off.)
When you press
a on your remote
transmitter, the lights inside your
vehicle will go on, then gradually dim to
off after about
40 seconds, unless a
door or the liftgate is opened.
When you turn on the ignition, the
interior lights will immediately dim to
off. Vehicle
theft is big business, especially
in some cities. Although your
Oldsmobile has a number of theft
deterrent features, we know that
nothing we put
on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are
ways you can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with
the keys inside, it’s an easy target for
joy riders or professional thieves
- so
don’t do it.
When you park your Oldsmobile and
open the driver’s door, you’ll hear a
chime reminding you to remove your
key from the ignition and take it with
you. Always do this. Your steering
wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember
to lock the doors.
ProCarManuals.com

Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows
and lock your vehicle. Remember to
keep your valuables out
of sight. Put
them in a storage area, or take them
with you.
If you park in a lot where someone will
be watching your vehicle,
it's best to
lock it up and take your keys. But what
if you have to leave your ignition key?
What if
you have to leave something
valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area,
Parking Lots
like your glove box or locking storage
bin.
Lock the storage bin.
Lock all the doors except the driver's.
Then take the door key with you.
Sliding Door
To open the sliding door from outside
the vehicle, pull the front of the latch
release out and then toward the rear.
If
you slide the door all the way back, it
will latch in the open position.
To move the door forward, you must
first pull the inside or outside latch
release out and then forward or the
door will remain latched in the open
position.
51
ProCarManuals.com

Features & Controls
52
Sliding Door Lock
From inside the vehicle, lock the sliding
door by sliding the manual locking lever
down. Unlock by sliding the lever up.
If you have the optional power door
locks, the sliding door lock has a delay
feature. See the
Index under Power
Door Locks
or Automatic Door Locks.
Power Sliding Door (OPTION)
With this option, you can open and
close the sliding door with switches
inside your vehicle. If you have the
optional remote lock control system,
you can also operate the sliding door
with your remote transmitter. See the
Index under Remote Lock Control.
To operate the power sliding door, the
power sliding door enable switch must
be in the
ON position. This switch is
the forward-most of two power door
switches located on the side of the
overhead console.
(If you have the
standard compact overhead console,
this switch is located between the reading
lights.)
To disable the power sliding
door feature, slide the switch to
OFF.
1
To open or close the sliding door, press
and release one
of two PWR DOOR
(Power Door) switches. There is one
mounted
on the wall, just in front of the
sliding door; the other
is the rear-most
ProCarManuals.com

switch on the side of the overhead
console. (If you have the standard
compact overhead console, this switch
is located between the reading lights.)
The sliding door must be unlocked for
the power sliding door to operate. The
ignition does not have to be on, and the
key does not have to be in the ignition.
To prevent accidental operation
of the
sliding door, disable the power sliding
door by placing the power sliding door
enable switch in the
OFF position. The
power sliding door will only open if
the transaxle is in
P (Park). The
transaxle does not have to be in
P
(Park) to close the door. If the enable
switch is
ON and the power sliding
door is open or in the process
of closing
when you shift out of
P (Park), a
buzzer will sound and the '- -. light on
your instrument panel will flash (see the
Index under Sliding Door Ajar Warning
Light).
This is a warning that the sliding
door
is not completely closed.
c
53
ProCarManuals.com

Raising the Liftgate
Open the liftgate using the handle
above the license plate. Then, step back
and the liftgate will rise by itself. Lights
in the liftgate will come on, illuminating
the rear cargo area (see the
Index under
Rear Interior Lights).
NOTICE:
Be sure there are no overhead
obstructions, such as a garage door,
before you open the liftgate. You
could slam the liftgate into
something and break the glass.
To close the liftgate, pull down on the
strap, then firmly shut the liftgate.
Don’t drive with the liftgate open, even
slightly (see the
Index under Exhaust).
A light on your instrument panel will
warn you
if the liftgate is not completely
closed (see the
Index under Warning
Lights, Liftgate Ajar).
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your modern Oldsmobile doesn’t
need an elaborate “break-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 (804 km) . Don’t make full-
throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the
first
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.
57
ProCarManuals.com

Features & Con&oli
58
U
I Ignition Switch
With the ignition key in the ignition
switch, you can turn the switch to five
positions:
Accessory: An “on” position in which
you can operate your electrical power
accessories. Press in the ignition switch
as you turn the top
of it toward you.
Lock: The only position in which you
can remove the ltey. This loclts your
steering wheel, ignition and transaxle.
Off Unlocks the steering wheel,
ignition, and transaxle, but does not
send electrical power to any accessories
Use this position
if your vehicle must be
pushed or towed, but never try to push-
start your vehicle.
A warning chime will
sound
if you open the driver’s door the
ignition.
Run: An “on” position to which the
switch returns after you start your
engine and release the switch. The
switch stays in the
Run position when
the engine is running. But even when
the engine is not running, you can use
Run to operate your electrical power
accessories, and to display some
instrument panel warning lights.
Start: Starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the ltey. The
ignition switch will return to
Run for
normal driving.
Note that even if the engine is not
running, the positions
Accessory and
Run are “on” positions that allow you
to operate your electrical accessories,
such as the radio.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in Lock
and you can’t turn it, be sure it is
all the way in. If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while
you turn the key hard. But turn the
key only with your hand. Using a
tool
to force it could break the key
or the ignition switch. If none of
this works, then your vehicle needs
service.
I Starting Your Engine
Engines start differently. The 8th digit
of your Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) shows the code letter or number
for your engine.
You will find the VIN
at the top left of your instrument panel.
(See
Vehicle Identification Number in
the
Index.) Follow the proper steps to
start the engine.
Move your shift lever
to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). Your engine won’t start in
any other position
- that’s a safety
feature.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
ProCarManuals.com

ud. If the selector lever is put in 1, thc
ansaxle won’t shift into first gear unti
le 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.
You could
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
P
(Park) to hold your vehicle in
position on a hill.
Parking Brake
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. If the
ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come
on. See the Index under
Brake System Warning Light.
To Release the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down with
your right foot while you push down on
the parking brake pedal with your left
foot. (To release the tension on the
parking brake cable, you will need to
apply about the same amount of
pressure to the parking brake pedal as
you did when you set the parking
brake.) When you remove your foot from
the parking brake pedal, it will pop
up to the release 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.
If You are Towing a Trailer and are
Parking on
Any Hill:
See the Index under Towing a Trailer.
That section shows what to do first to
keep the trailer from moving.
ProCarManuals.com

Features & Conkoh
70
Side Window Latches
The rear of the side windows swings
open.
To Open: Pull the latch forward to
release it, then swing the window
outward and press the center
of the
latch to secure the window in the open
position.
To Close: Pull the center of the latch
forward and then close the latch.
I
f
Power Windows (OPTION)
With power windows, switches on the
driver's door armrest control the front
vindows when the ignition is
on. The
.eft switch controls the driver's window.
The right switch controls the
?assenger's window.
The driver's power window switch has
:wo down positions. Hold the rear
of
:he switch in the first position to lower
:he window normally.
To activate the auto down feature, fully
?res the rear
of the switch, then
:elease. The window will lower
:ompletely.
To stop the window from
owering all the way, press the front of
:he switch.
r'o raise the window, press and hold the
i-ont
of the switch.
Turn SignallMultifinction
Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering
column includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change
Headlight High-Low Beam Changer
Cruise Control (Option)
The High-Low Beam feature is
discussed under
Headlights. See the
Index under HeadZights.
Indicator
ProCarManuals.com

0
Turn Signal and Lane Change
lndicafor
The turn signal has two upward (for
Right) and two downward (for Left)
positions. These positions allow you to
signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the
way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return
automatically.
?
0 - I)’ 1
A green arrow on the instrument panel
will flash in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or
lower the lever until the green arrow
starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever
will return by itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if
the arrows don’t flash but just stay on, a
signal bulb may be burned out and
other drivers won’t see your turn signal. If
a bulb is burned out, replace it to help
avoid an accident. If the green arrows
don’t go on at all when you signal a
turn, check the fuse (see the
Index
under Fuses G Circuit Breakers) and
for burned-out bulbs.
If you have a trailer towing option with
added wiring for the trailer lights, a
different turn signal flasher is used.
With this flasher installed, the signal
indicator will flash even
if a turn signal
bulb is burned out. Check the front and
rear turn signal lights regularly to make
sure they are working.
71
ProCarManuals.com

74
Features & Controls
To slow down in very small amounts,
push the button for less than half
a
second. Each time you do this, you'll
go
1 mph (1.6 ltm/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 control speed you set
earlier.
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.
To Get Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the
cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
If your vehicle has the optional traction
control system
(TCS), the cruise
control will shut
off when TCS is
actively controlling wheel spin. See the
Index under Traction Control System.
To Erase Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or
the ignition, your cruise control set
speed memory is erased. If you have the
3800 V6 engine, cruise control memory
will also be erased when you place the
transaxle in
P (Park).
Headlights
Push the p$ switch to turn on:
Parking Lights
Side Marker Lights
Taillights
Instrument Panel Lights
Pull the switch to turn
off the lights.
ProCarManuals.com