tow OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1996 Owners Manual

Dump and Stow Feature
The second and third row bucket seats have been
designed
to allow them to fold fully upward and forward
when the seats are anchored in the rear-most position.
This design improves both luggagekargo capacity and
rear seat entrylexit.
To use this feature on RIGHT ONLY seats: Lift the
upper lever to fold
the seatback forward. Push the lower
lever back and tilt the entire seat and seatback forward.
To use this feature on CENTER OR LEFT or
LEFT ONLY seats: Lift
the upper lever to fold the
seatback forward.
Push down on the rear release bar
(located behind
the seat), and tilt the entire seat and
seatback forward.
To release the RIGHT ONLY seat
from this position:
Pull the entire seat back to the upright position. Lift the
upper lever to lift the seatback up again. Push and pull
on the seat and the seatback
to be sure both are locked
into position.
To release the CENTER OR LEFT or LEFT
ONLY
seat from this position: Push the rear release bar while
you pull the entire seat back to the upright position. Lift
the upper lever to lift the seatback up again. Push and
pull on the seat and the seatback
to be sure both are
locked into position.
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Removing Rear Bucket Seats
Removing the [GHT ONLY Seats
1. Lift the upper lever to fold the seatback forward.
2. Push the lower lever back and tilt the entire seat and
seatback forward.
3. From behind the seat, support the top portion of the
seat with one hand as you squeeze the front release
bar toward the crossbar.
The seat will release from
the floor pins.
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3. From behind the seat, support the top portion of the
seat with one hand as you squeeze the front release
bar toward the crossbar. The seat will release from
the floor pins.
'ting Rear Seats
Each rear seat location has two sets of floor pins. Seats
equipped with the built-in child restraint option must be
secured in the rear set of floor pins. Seats that don't have
the built-in child restraint can be secured in either set of
floor pins. Move
the position of these seats up or back to
provide a little more room behind or in front of a seat.
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When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only
if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.”
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range.
If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag
is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of
the damage
to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage
is only one
indication of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction
of the sodium azide
sealed
in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and
related hardware are all part
of the air bag module
packed inside the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel.
The air bag supplements the protection provided by
safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not
help you
in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily
because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the air bag.
Air bags should never be regarded
as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
a crash.
people who are.
I A CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children
are wearing the same belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces.
In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at
a time.
What if a child is wearing
a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child
is so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child’s face or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that
the shoulder belt still is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide.
If the
child
is so small that the shoulder belt is still very
close to the child’s face
or neck, you might want to
place the child in the center seat position, the one
that has only
a lap belt.
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ding 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.
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To manually close the power sliding door when the
sliding door
ON/OFF switch is in the ON position, pull
the inside or outside latch release or the edge
of the
door. Move the door about
4 inches (10 cm) toward the
closed position and release. The door will close
completely and latch for
you.
To manually close the power sliding door when the
ON/OFF switch is
in the OFF position, pull the inside or
outside latch release and slide the door
all the way
forward to the latch position.
Resetting the rower diding Door
The power sliding door may operate incorrectly or not
all because of the following conditions:
0 A low voltage or dead battery
0 Disconnecting the battery
0 If the GUAGES, TAIL or TURN B/U fuse is
removed or blown.
See “Fuse Panel”
in the Index for more information
about your fuse panel.
If any of these conditions occur, the power sliding door
will need to be reset. To do this, follow the directions
listed here. It will be easier
if you read through them
once before beginning this procedure.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Check to be sure the power sliding door is unlocked
and securely closed.
Turn the ignition switch to the
OFF position.
Turn
the power sliding door ON/OFF switch to OFF.
Remove the TAIL fuse from the fuse panel. Leave it
out for 30 seconds.
Reinstall the fuse and wait 10 seconds.
Move the
ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
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Parking Lots
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, like your glove
box
or locking storage bin.
Lock the storage bin.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
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.
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.
0 Don’t tow a trailer during break-in. See
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index for more
.
information.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
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Ignition Positions
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions.
C
A E
ACCESSORY (A): 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 (B): This is the only position in which you can
remove
the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and transaxle.
OFF (C): This position 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 when the ignition is
OFF and
the key is
in the ignition.
RUN (D): 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 the
RUN position to operate your electrical
power accessories, and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
START (E): This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return
to the RUN position for normal driving.
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NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your
starter motor.
2.
3.
If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START. If it doesn’t start in three seconds (or starts
but then stops), push the accelerator pedal about
one-quarter
of the way down for 12 more seconds, or
until it starts.
If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try this:
Wait
15 seconds to let the starter motor cool down.
Then push your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor. Hold it there. Then hold the key
in START.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine. When
the engine starts, let go of the key and the accelerator
pedal.
If the engine still doesn’t start, wait another
15 seconds and repeat this step.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your retailer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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