engine OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1996 User Guide

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power, but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (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.
NOTICE:
~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles
(41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you
can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD (D) or
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0) as much as
possible. Don’t shift into SECOND (2) unless you
are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you
can damage your engine.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle 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 SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (55 kmh) and THIRD (D) for
higher speeds.
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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 “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
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I
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the engine running unless
you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).
-1
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) 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 PARK
(P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P) 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 PARK (P).
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Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange
0 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
0 Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any CO; and
Running Your Engine While
You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if th
fan switch is at the highest setting. One place this
can happen
is a garage. Exhaust -- with CO -- can
come in easily.
NEVER park in a garage with the
engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
2-36
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A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
Windows
Manual Windows
Use the manual crank to open and close the front windows.
Power Windows (Option)
2-37
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Speedometer and Tamper
Resistant Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour
(kmh). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used in the United States) or kilometers
(used in Canada).
Your Oldsmobile has a tamper resistant odometer.
If you
see silver lines between the numbers, you’ll know that
someone has probably tried to turn it back,
so the
numbers may not be true.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed.
If the new one can be set to the
mileage total
of the old odometer, then that will be done.
If it can’t, then it’s set at zero and a label must be put on
the driver’s door to show the old mileage reading when
the new odometer was installed.
Tachometer
c
8
The tachometer displays the engine speed in revolutions
per minute (rpm).
I NOTICE:
r
~ ~~
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.
2-71
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Rip Odometer
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since
you last set it to zero. To set it to zero,
push the reset button located above the fuel gage.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that may
be on
your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or
is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with
your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
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Voltmeter Brake System Warning Light
Irn
18 /
Your charging system gage will show the rate of charge
when the engine is running.
The reading will change
as the rate of charge changes
(with the engine speed, etc.), but readings between the
red warning zones indicate the normal operating range.
Readings
in either red zone indicate a possible problem
with your charging system. Have your Oldsmobile
serviced immediately.
When the engine
is not running, but the ignition is on (in
the RUN position), the display measures the voltage
output
of your battery. Your
Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake system is divided
into two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part
can still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
I BRAKE I
This light should come on
briefly
when you turn the
ignition key to RUN.
If it
doesn’t come on then,
have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, puli off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and “Towing Your Vehicle”
in
the Index.)
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing
after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will
come on when you start
your engine and it will
stay on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come
on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem. If
the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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A CAUTION:
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock
brake system warning light flashing can lead to an accident. After you’ve pulled
off the road
and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Oldsmobile needs service. If
the light is on but not flashing and the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
’ 260
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the red area, your engine
is too
hot! It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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