warning OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1997 Owner's Manual

Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left, when the ignition is on. When the gage first
indicates EMPTY
(E), you
still have a little fuel left,
but you should get more
soon.
After filling the fuel tank, the gage will not read
FULL (F) until the ignition is turned on.
Here
are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads FULL
(F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner,
0 The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY (E) when you
brake or speed up.
turn
off the ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
EN
When there is between
3 gallons (1 1 L) and
1 .O gallon (3.8 L) of
fuel left in the tank, the
warning light next to
the
fuel symbol will go on.
This light will also come
on when you turn on the
ignition, but the engine is not running,
to show you it is
working. If it doesn’t come on as you start your vehicle,
have
it fixed right away.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot
of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up,
it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder
to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system
will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise
while this test is going on, and you may even notice
that your brake pedal moves
a little. (You may also hear
a clicking noise
if you leave the ignition in the RUN
position for about four seconds before starting the
vehicle.) This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
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When the system is on, this
warning light will come on
to let you know if there’s
a
problem with your traction
control system.
See “Traction Control System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light is on,
the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin,
especially
in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn
the
traction control system off if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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To turn the system off, press
the
TCS symbol on the
bottom of the button in the
center console switchbank.
The indictor light on the
traction control button will
go off.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system
is limiting wheel spin when you
press the button, the warning light will come on
-- but the
system won’t
turn off right away. It will wait until there’s
no longer a current need
to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control svstem warning
light should go
off.
Braking in Emergencies
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.
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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 bralung 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
slud, 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.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on
the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is sludding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You'll want to watch out for
what
the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as
you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You'll save time and energy. (See the
next part, "Freeway Driving.")
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it. When
a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that
have not cleared the intersection or may be running
the red light.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
a Have your Oldsmobile in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel,
a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag of
sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll have a lot less traction
or “grip” and will need
to be very careful.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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5- 10
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5-12
5- 12
5- 13 How
to Use Warning Flashers
Other Types of Warning Devices
Step-by-step Procedure for Jump Starting
Information
You Should Know Before Towing
Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
If
Your Engine is Overheating
If Steam
is Coming From Your Engine
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Cooling System
How to Add Coolant
What to
do if a Tire Goes Flat
How to Change a Flat Tire
Where to Store the Flat Tire and
Tools
Information on the Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Snow or on Ice
How
to Rock Your Vehicle to Get Unstuck
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Hazard Warning Flashers
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Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also
let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning
flashers switch is
on top
of the steering column.
Press the button in to turn
on your flashers.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, push the switch down and it will
pop back
up by itself.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Oldsmobile. But please use the following steps listed to
do it safely.
On vehicles equipped with the optional power sliding
door, a low voltage battery or replacing a battery may
cause the system to become inoperative. See “Power
Sliding Door’’
in the Index for more information.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1 NOTICE:
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Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be
covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your Oldsmobile by pushing
or pulling it won’t work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They can provide the right
equipment and know how
to tow it without damage.
See “Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like
fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
things can be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
0 That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged. To
help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
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