brake OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994 Owners Manual

How to Use this Manual
These symbols are on some of your
controls:
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
w
Windshield Defroster
Rear Window Defogger
Rear Window Wiper
Rear Window Washer Ventilating Fan
Power Window
10
3f
These symbols are used on warning
and indicator lights:
Engine Coolant Temperature
Battery Charging
System
Fuel
Engine
Oil Pressure
Brake
AntXock Brakes
p3
Here are some other symbols you
may see:
Fuse
Lighter
Horn
Speaker
Hood Release
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Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on
your Oldsmobile. and information on
starting. shifting and braking
. Also
explained are the instrument panel
and the warning systems that tell you
if everything is working properly -
and what to do if you have a
problem
.
Part 2
Features & Controls
Keys ........................................................................\
................................................... 44
Front Doors
........................................................................\
....................................... 45
Remote Lock Control
........................................................................\
........................ 48
Liftgate
........................................................................\
............................................... 56
Starting Your Engine
........................................................................\
........................ 58
Engine Coolant Heater ........................................................................\
...................... 61
Loclts
........................................................................\
.................................................. 45
Sliding Door
........................................................................\
...................................... 51
Ignition ........................................................................\
.............................................. 58
Shifting the Transaxle
........................................................................\
....................... 62
Parking Brake
........................................................................\
.................................... 65
Shifting into Park
........................................................................\
.............................. 66
Horn ........................................................................\
................................................... 69
Tilt Steering Wheel
........................................................................\
............................ 69
Windows
........................................................................\
............................................ 69
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
.................................................................. 71
Cruise Control ........................................................................\
................................... 72
Headlights
........................................................................\
.......................................... 74
Interior Lights
........................................................................\
................................... 76
Windshield Wipers
........................................................................\
............................ 77
Windshield Washer
........................................................................\
........................... 78
Mirrors
........................................................................\
............................................... 86
Glove
Box and Storage Compartments .................................................................... 88
Luggage Carrier ........................................................................\
................................. 92
Instrument Panel
........................................................................\
............................... 96
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
................................................................... 100 43
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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
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Features & Controls
64
R NoD2l
Forward Gears
(Automatic Overdrive):
If your automatic transaxle has
automatic overdrive, this position is for
normal driving. If you need more power
for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56
km/h), push your accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 Itm/h) or
more, push the accelerator all the way
down.
You’ll shift down
to the next gear and
have more power.
NOTICE:
This NOTICE applies only if you
have the
3800 V6 engine and the
automatic Overdrive transaxle. If
your vehicle
is so equipped, and if it
seems to 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
2 (Second Gear) when you are
drivin less than
35 mph (56 ltm/h)
and
d D (Overdrive) for higher
speeds.
D (Third Gear): If your automatic
transaxle does not have Overdrive, this
position is for normal driving, at all
speeds, in most street and highway
situations.
If your automatic transaxle has
Overdrive,
D is like m, but you never
go into Overdrive. Here are some times
you might choose
D instead of m:
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less
When going down a steep hill.
2 (Second Gear): This position gives
you more power but lower fuel
economy. You can use
2 on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes
off
and on.
shifting between gears.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in 2 (Second Gear) for
more than
5 miles (8 ltm), or at
speeds over
55 mph (88 ltm/h), or
you can damage your transaxle.
Use
D (m or D if your vehicle has
Overdrive) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
2 unless you are
going slower than
65 mph (105
ltm/h), or you can damage your
engine.
1 (First Gear): This position gives you
even more power (but lower fuel
economy) than
2. You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow or
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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.
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Features & Controls
66
I Sh@ing Into P (Park)
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your
right
foot and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
position like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
Move the lever up as far as it will I I
go.
3. Move the ignition key to Lock.
4. Remove the key and take it with you.
If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
P (Park).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your vehicle
is in
P (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
P
(Park) position, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from
P (Park)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transaxle into
P (Park)
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
P
(Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into
P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into
P (Park) in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of
P (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If “torque lock’’ does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some
of the
pressure from the transaxle,
so you can
pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Parking Over nings That
Burn
67
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Features & Controls
72
I Cruise Control (OPTION)
With cruise control, you can maintain a
speed of about
25 mph (40 lun/h) or
more without keeping your foot on the
accelerator.
This can really help on long
trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about
25 rnph (40 ltm/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise
control shuts
off.
To Sef Cruise Control
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of
4. Take your foot off the accelerator
the
lever and release it.
pedal.
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ro Resume a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a
lesired speed and then you apply the
brake. This, of course, shuts
off the
mise control. But you don’t need to
reset it. Once you’re going about
25
rnph (40 km/h) or more, you can move
the cruise control- switch from
ON to
RESUME/ACCEL (which stands for
Resume/Accelerate) for about half a
second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen
speed and stay there.
If you have the
3800 V6 engine, cruise
control memory will be erased when
you place the transaxle in P (Park). If
this is the case, you will not be able to resume
your set speed by moving the
cruise control switch to
RESUME/
ACCEL.
Use the SET button to reset cruise (see
To Set Cruise Control earlier in this
section).
If you hold the switch at
RESUME/ACCEL longer than half a
second, the vehicle will keep going
faster until
you release the switch or
apply the brake. You could be startled
and even lose control.
So unless you
want to go faster, don’t hold the switch
at
RESUME/ACCEL.
To Increase Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher
speed. Here’s the first:
1. Use the accelerator pedal to get to the
2. Push the button at the end of the
higher
speed.
lever, then release the button and the
accelerator pedal. You’ll now cruise
at the higher speed. Here’s the second
way to go to a higher
speed:
Move the cruise switch from ON to
RESUME/ACCEL. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you
want, and then release the switch.
To increase your speed in very small
amounts, move the switch to
RESUME/ACCEL for less than half
a second and then release it. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will go
about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
If you have the 3800 V6 engine, the
accelerate feature will only work after
you have set the initial cruise control
speed by pushing the
SET button. If
you have the
3100 V6 engine, the
accelerate feature will work whether or
not you have set an initial cruise control
speed.
To Reduce Speed While Using
Cruise Control
Push in the button at the end of the
lever until you reach the lower speed
you want, then release it.
73
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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.
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