wheel OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1996 User Guide

If you have power windows, the switches on the driver's
door armrest control the front windows (when the ignition
is on). The left switch controls the driver's window. The
right switch controls
the passenger's window.
The driver's power window switch has two down
positions. Hold the rear
of the switch in the first position
to lower the window normally.
To activate the auto-down feature, fully press the rear of
the switch, then release. The window will lower
completely.
To stop the window from lowering all the
way, press the front
of the switch.
To raise the window, press and hold the front of the switch.
,atches
The rear of the side windows swings open.
To open, pull the latch forward to release
it, then swing
the window outward. 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.
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbols
on
your steering wheel.
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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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Cruise Control (0
With cruise control, you can rnalnrain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kmh) 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 mph (40 kdh).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads.
On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on Setting
Cruise Control
A CAUTION:
9
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.
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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, how much fuel you’re using, and many
other things you’ll need to drive safely and economically.
Refer to the accompanying diagram
of your instrument
panel to locate
the components listed below.
1. Side Vents
2. Lamp Controls
3. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
4. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
5. Instrument Cluster
6. Gearshift Lever
7. Wiper/Washer Controls
8. Center Vents
9. Storage Compartment
10. Side Vents
1 1. Circuit Breaker/Relay Panel
12. Glove Box/Fuse Panel
13. Audio System
14. Rear Fan Controls
15. CupholdedAshtray
16. Locking Storage Bin
1 7. Lighter
18. Interior Lights Override Switch
19. Climate Controls
20. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
21. Ignition Switch
22. Horn
23. Steering Wheel Touch Controls (Option)
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Steering Wheel Controls (Option)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.
VOLUME: Press the up arrow to increase the volume
and the down arrow
to decrease volume.
AM-FM: Press this button to choose AM or FM.
MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again to turn on
the sound. This button may be used when
listening to the radio,
a cassette tape or a compact disc.
SEEK: Press this button to tune to a higher or lower
radio station. The sound will be muted while seeking.
When playing
a cassette tape or compact disc, press
SEEK to hear the next selection.
TUNE: Press the up arrow to tune to a higher radio
station. Press the down arrow to tune to
a lower
radio station.
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The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most
of available tire and road conditions.
L
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out
in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. You
can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If
you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead
to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the
system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
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.
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.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” 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.
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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.
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.
If
you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out
of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts
out from between
parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your Oldsmobile can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.)
It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending
on the space available.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it
a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
.&-/// SLOW DOWN
edge of paved surface
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little
to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”\
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your
Oldsmobile’s three control systems. In the braking skid,
your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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