stop start OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1998 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: OLDSMOBILE, Model Year: 1998, Model line: SILHOUETTE, Model: OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1998Pages: 444, PDF Size: 23.2 MB
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When you sit  in  the  center  position bucket  seat, you 
have  a  lap  safety belt which  has 
a retractor. 
1. Pick up the  latch  plate  and, in  a  single  motion,  pull 
the  belt  across  you.  Don’t let  it  get  twisted. 
2. Push  the  latch  plate  into  the  buckle  until  it  clicks. If 
the  belt  stops  before  it  reaches  the  buckle,  let  it  go 
back 
all the  way  and  start  again.  Pull  up on the  latch 
plate  to  make  sure 
it is  secure. 
3. Feed  the  lap  belt  into  the  retractor  to  tighten it. 
4. Position  and release  it  the  same way as the  lap  part 
of  a  lap-shoulder  belt. 
If the  belt  isn’t  long enough,  see  “Safety Belt 
Extender”  at the  end  of this  section.  Make  sure the 
release  button  on the  buckle  is  positioned 
so you 
would  be able  to unbu&le  the safety belt quickly 
if 
you ever  had to. 
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Nuisance Alarms New  Vehicle “Break-In” 
If you experience  nuisance  alarms  (alarms  which are not 
caused  by the  opening  of a  door  or  the  liftgate  and are 
not  desirable),  you may  need  to  reduce  the  damage 
detection  sensitivity.  Try programming  the  Content 
Theft-Deterrent  to  Mode 
1. 
If you  continue  to  experience  nuisance  alarms,  you may 
want  to try  turning 
off damage  detection  by 
programming your  Content  Theft-Deterrent  to  Mode 
2. 
If you are  still  having  trouble  with nuisance  alarms,  you 
can 
turn off the  Content  Theft-Deterrent  system by 
programming your  Content  Theft-Deterrent  to  Mode 
3. 
See “Locks  and  Lighting  Choices”  in the  Index  for  more 
information.  See 
your retailer  or  qualified  technician 
for  service. 
NOTICE: 
Your  vehicle  doesn’t  need  an elaborate 
“break-in.”  But 
it will perform  better  in  the  long 
run 
if you  follow  these  guidelines: 
0 Don’t drive at any  one  speed -- fast  or 
slow 
-- for  the first 500 miles (805 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. 
See  “Towing 
a Trailer’’  in the Index for 
more  information. 
Avoid  making  hard stops for the first 
0 Don’t  tow a trailer  during  break-in. 
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NOTICE: 
If your key  seems  stuck in LOCK and you can’t 
turn  it, be  sure  you are using  the  correct  key;  if 
so, is it all the  way  in? If it is,  then  turn  the 
steering  wheel  left  and  right while  you  turn the 
key  hard.  But turn  the key  only  with  your hand. 
Using 
a tool  to force  it could  break  the key  or the 
ignition  switch. 
If none of this  works,  then your 
vehicle  needs  service. 
Starting Your Engine 
Move  your shift  lever  to PARK (P) or  NEUTRAL  (N). 
Your  engine  won’t start in any  other  position 
-- that’s a 
safety  feature.  To restart  when you’re  already moving, 
use  NEUTRAL 
(N) only. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your  Oldsmobile 
is  moving. 
If you  do,  you  could  damage the 
transaxle. Shift to 
PARK  (P) only  when  your 
vehicle  is  stopped. 
1. Without pushing  the accelerator pedal, turn your 
ignition key  to START.  When the  engine starts, let 
go of the key.  The  idle  speed will go down as your 
engine  gets warm. 
I 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. 
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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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REVERSE  (R): Use this gear  to  back  up. 
NOTICE: 
Shifting  to REVERSE  (R)  while  your vehicle is 
moving  forward  could damage your  transaxle. 
Shift to  REVERSE  (R) only  after  your vehicle 
is stopped. 
To rock  your  vehicle  back  and forth  to  get  out of snow, 
ice  or  sand without  damaging your  transaxle,  see 
“Stuck:  In  Sand,  Mud,  Ice 
or Snow”  in  the  Index. 
NEUTRAL (N): In  this  position,  your engine 
doesn’t  connect  with the  wheels. 
To restart  when  you’re 
already  moving,  use  NEUTRAL  (N)  only. 
Also, use 
NEUTRAL,  (N) when your  vehicle  is being towed. 
Shifting out of  PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while 
your  engine 
is cLracing” (running  at high  speed) is 
dangerous.  Unless  your foot is firmly  on the 
brake  pedal,  your vehicle  could  move  very 
rapidly.  You could  lose  control and 
hit people or 
objects.  Don’t  shift out of  PARK 
(P) or 
NEUTRAL 
(N) while  your engine  is  racing. 
I NOTICE: I 
Damage  to your transaxle  caused  by  shifting  out 
of  PARK 
(P) or  NEUTRAL (N) with  the engine 
racing  isn’t  covered  by  your warranty. 
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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 km/h) and  THIRD (3) for 
higher  speeds.  FIRST 
(1): This position 
gives you even more power 
(but lower fuel economy)  than SECOND (2). You can 
use it on very  steep  hills,  or in deep snow  or mud.  If the 
selector  lever  is  put  in 
FIRST (1), the  transaxle  won’t 
downshift  into  first  gear until  the vehicle  is  going 
slow  enough. 
NOTICE: 
If your front  wheels  can’t  rotate, don’t try  to 
drive.  This  might  happen 
if you  were stuck in 
very  deep  sand or mud  or were  up against  a solid 
object.  You could  damage  your transaxle. 
Also,  if  you  stop when  going  uphill,  don’t  hold 
your  vehicle  there with 
only the accelerator 
pedal.  This could  overheat  and damage  the 
transaxle.  Use your  brakes  or  shift into PARK 
(P) 
to hold  your  vehicle  in position  on  a hill. 
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Windshield Wipers Windshield  Washer 
You control the windshield wipers  by turning the band 
marked 
WIPER. 
For  a single wiping cycle,  turn the band to MIST. Hold 
it there until the wipers start,  then let go. The  wipers  will 
stop after  one cycle. 
If you want more cycles, hold  the 
band on mist  longer. 
For delayed wiping cycles,  you can set the wiper speed 
for  a long  or short delay between wipes. This can be 
very  useful in light  rain or snow.  Turn the band  to 
choose  the delay time.  The closer to  LOW, the shorter 
the delay time. 
For steady wiping cycles,  at low speed,  turn the band 
away from  you to the 
LOW position. For high-speed 
wiping, turn the band further  to 
HIGH. To stop the 
wipers, move the  band to 
OFF. 
Remember  that  damaged  wiper  blades  may  prevent you 
from seeing  well  enough  to drive  safely. To avoid  damage, 
be  sure  to  clear  ice  and  snow 
fiom the  wiper  blades  before 
using  them. 
If they’re  frozen  to  the  windshield,  carefidly 
loosen  or  thaw  them. 
If your  blades  do become  damaged, 
get  new  blades  or  blade  inserts. 
Heavy snow or  ice can  overload your wipers. 
A circuit 
breaker  will stop them  until the motor cools. Clear away 
snow  or  ice  to prevent  an overload.  To 
wash  your windshield,  press and hold the windshield 
washer paddle. The washers and wipers  will operate. 
When  you  release the paddle, the washers  will stop, and 
the  wipers  will  continue to operate for two cycles, unless 
your wipers  had  already been on. In that case, the wipers 
will resume the wiper speed you had selected 
earl+. 
In  freezing  weather,  don’t  use  your  washer  until 
the  windshield  is warmed.  Otherwise  the  washer 
fluid  can  form  ice  on  the  windshield,  blocking 
your  vision. 
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Convenience  Net  (Option) 
The optional convenience net is designed to help keep 
small  loads,  like grocery bags, from  falling  over  during 
sharp  turns 
or quick stops and starts. Install the 
convenience net at the rear  of your vehicle,  just  inside 
the liftgate. 
- I ., " 
Attach the upper  loops to the  posts on either side  of the 
liftgate  opening (the label on the net should 
be in the 
upper  left-hand  corner). Attach  the lower hooks to the 
metal  rings 
on the floor. 
The side of the convenience  net closest  to  the front  of 
the vehicle 
is higher than  the side  closest  to  the liftgate. 
Once  you've  loaded items  into the net, stretch the higher 
side  of the  net up and over the top 
of the load  to hold it 
firmly 
in place. 
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If the  light  comes on  while  you are driving, 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. 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 
.) 
I A CAUTION: 
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. 
Anti-Lock  Brake System  Warning  Light 
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. 
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 vehicle 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. 
Traction  Control  System  Warning  Light 
(Option) 
This  warning light should 
come on briefly as  you start 
the  engine. 
If the warning 
light doesn’t come on then, 
have 
it fixed so it  will  be 
ready 
to warn  you  if  there’s 
a  problem. 
If  it stays 
on, or comes on when you’re driving, there 
may  be 
a problem  with your traction  control system and 
your vehicle  may  need service. When this warning  light 
is on, 
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your 
driving  accordingly. 
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