headlamp OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1996 Owners Manual

Tilt Steering Wheel Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
A tilt steering wheel
allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before
you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move
the steering wheel to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel
in place. The
lever on
the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
0 Cruise Control (Option)
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Ttrrn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
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.
An 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 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 arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and check the
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in the Index).
If you have a trailer towing option with added wiring for
the trailer lamps,
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 lamps regularly
to make sure they
are working.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps
from high to low beam, or
low to high, simply pull the
turn signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, a light on the instrument
cluster will also be on.
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Lamps
Headlamps
PC: Push this switch to turn on:
0 Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Pull the switch to turn
off the lamps.
-:g-: Push this switch to turn on the headlamps,
together with:
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Pull the switch to turn
off the lamps.
Lamps On Reminder
If you turn the ignition key to the OFF or LOCK
position while leaving the lamps on,
you will hear a
warning chime.
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Fog Lamps
Slide the lower lever on the lights control panel up to
turn on the fog lamps, down to turn them off.
An
indicator light next to the control will glow when the fog
lamps are on.
Your headlamps must be on for your fog lamps to go on.
Although your fog lamps will go
off when your high
beams are on, high beams are not recommended for
driving in fog.
Interior Lamps
Instrr--- Bt Panel Intensity Control
Slide the upper lights control all the way up to increase
the brightness of the instrument panel lights, down to
decrease the brightness. Slide the control all
the way
down to turn them off.
Interior Lights Control
Slide the upper lights control (located to the left of the
instrument panel cluster) all the way up to turn on the
interior lamps.
Interior Lights Override Switch
This switch is located to the left of the cigarette lighter
in the center instrument panel console. It has two
positions,
DOOR (on) and OFF, and overrides all
interior lamps except the reading lamps.
The interior lamps
go on each time you open the doors.
You can turn off these lamps
so that the doors may be
left open without running down the battery by turning
the interior lights override switch to
OFF.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road
in a safe place
and rest.
Ni ~ lt Vision
NO one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can
also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But
if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps,
but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are
in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes
moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked
regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes be examined
regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness
-- the
inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t even aware of it.
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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.
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
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Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible
to others.
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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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
so until help comes.
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3. Twist the L-shaped bulb assembly counterclockwise
one-sixth
of a turn until the flanges align with the
slots in the retainer ring.
4. Pull out the bulb assembly.
5. Disconnect the bulb wiring harness from the bulb assembly by lifting the plastic locking tab.
6. Snap a new bulb assembly into the wiring harness.
7. Replace the bulb assembly by reversing Step 3.
8. Replace the bulb housing and the two black knobs.
Front Parking/lbrn Signal Lamps
1. Remove the headlamp assembly as described in
“Headlamps.”
2. Remove the lamp socket furthest inboard by
pinching the lever
and turning counterclockwise.
3. After replacing the bulb, line up the flanges on the
socket with
the slots in the headlamp capsule.
4. Push and turn the socket one-sixth of a
turn clockwise.
Front Sidemarker
1. From behind the front bumper, remove the lamp
socket
from the lamp assembly by twisting
counterclockwise.
2. With the bulb replaced, insert the lamp socket into
the lamp assembly and turn clockwise.
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If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel
nuts for your
Oldsmobile model.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be dangerous.
It could affect the braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you
lose control. You could have
a collision in which
you or others could be injured.
Always use
the correct wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for replacement.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer
or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for
more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
A CAUTION,
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Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used or
how many miles it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause an accident.
If you have to
replace
a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
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NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your Oldsmobile
unless you check with your retailer
first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle and the damage-wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by a circuit breaker in
the lamp switch. An electrical overload will cause the
lamps to go on and
off, or,in some cases to remain off.
If this happens, have your headlamp system checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker and a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to heavy
snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor cools.
If
the overload is caused by some electrical problem, be
sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the circuit breakerhelay panel protect
the power windows and other power accessories. When
the current load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes, protecting
the circuit until the problem
is fixed.
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