index Oldsmobile Silhouette 2001 Owner's Manuals

Table of Contents (cont'd)
Customer Assistance Information
In the Index you will find an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual.
You can use it to quickly find something you want to read.
Section
8Customer Satisfaction Procedures
Customer Assistance Offices
Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation
Warranty Information
Reporting Safety Defects on page 8-10
Service Publications
Index
Section
9
Please refer to the last page of this manual for your Service Station Guide
v

ix
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
CAUTION
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
FLAME
COULD
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important for
you and your
passengers
whenever your
vehicle is driven:
CHILD
RESTRAINT
TOP STRAP
ANCHOR
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
MASTER
LIGHTING
SWITCH
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
WASHER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
REAR
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
FUEL
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. Also see ªWarning Lights and Gagesº in the Index.

1-20 Stowable Seat
The optional stowable seat is a full bench seat and
comes with the convenience center. See ªConvenience
Centerº in the Index for more information. The stowable
seat can be removed and replaced, or with the seatback
folded, it can lie flush with the convenience center.
Folding the Seatback
To fold down the seatback,
pull up on the lever on the
back of the seat and push
the seatback down until
it is locked into place.
Push and pull on the
seatback to make sure
that it is locked into place.To raise the seatback, do one of the following:

From the rear of the vehicle, pull up on the lever to
release the seatback, then pull the strap, located on
the right side of the seat, to pull the seat back up.
The seatback has a velcro patch to stow the strap on
the rear of the seat when not in use, or

from the passenger's side sliding door, pull up on
the lever to release the seatback, then push up on the
seatback to raise the seat.
Push and pull on the seatback to make sure that it is
locked into the upright position.
CAUTION:
If the seatback isn't locked, it could move forward
in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury
to the person sitting there. Always press rearward
on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

1-21
Removing the Stowable Seat
1. Remove the convenience center, if it is in the
vehicle. See ªConvenience Centerº in the Index
for more information.
2. Make sure all items are off of the stowable seat.
3. If the seatback is down, put the seatback in its upright
position before removing the seat. See ªFolding the
Seatbackº previously.4. From behind the bench seat, push up the release
handles at the base of the seat to release the latches
from the floor pins.
5. While holding onto the crossbar at the bottom
of the seat, remove the seat by rocking it slightly
toward the rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out.
This should be done in one motion.
NOTICE:
Do not use the release handles to pull the seat
out. The handles could break during removal.
This will not be covered by your warranty.
Use the crossbar at the bottom of the seat when
pulling the seat out.

1-22
Replacing the Stowable Seat
Do not put the stowable seat in facing rearward because
it will not latch that way. The stowable seat has to go
in before the convenience center. See ªConvenience
Centerº in the Index for more information.
The stowable seat has seat position labels, located on
the back of the seat, showing where the seat must go.
Follow the floor pin diagram. Use the front floor pins
of the front floor cups and the rear floor cups in the
third row.
Use the G, H, I, and J sets of floor cups.
See ªRear Seatsº in the beginning of this section for
more information. The seat must be placed in the proper
location for the legs to attach correctly.Make sure the seat is in its upright position before
beginning this procedure.
1. Place the front hooks of the seat onto the front floor
pins in the third row. To do this, the seat will need to
be angled so the front hooks clear the floor pins.
If the front legs are not attached correctly, the rear
legs will not attach to the rear set of floor pins.
2. Firmly push the rear hooks into the rear floor pins
by pushing down on the rear of the seat.
3. Try to raise the seat to make sure that it is
locked down.
4. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure that
it is locked into place.

1-24
CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people
to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using
a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. See ªSafety
Belt Reminder Lightº in
the Index.In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!

1-29
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child
will be riding in your vehicle, see the part of this
manual called ªChildren.º Follow those rules for
everyone's protection.
First, you'll want to know which restraint systems
your vehicle has.
We'll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver's restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here's how to
wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see ªSeatsº in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt across
you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.

1-40
CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact air bags inflate
with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
If you're too close to an inflating air bag, as you
would be if you were leaning forward, it could
seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in
position for air bag inflation before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
frontal air bags. The driver should sit as far back
as possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle. Front occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door.
CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to, any
air bag when it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Air bags plus lap
-shoulder belts offer
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
the best protection for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle's safety
belt system nor its air bag system is designed
for them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle. To read how, see the part of this manual
called ªChildren.º
There is an air bag readiness
light on the instrument
panel, which shows the
air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See ªAir Bag Readiness Lightº in the Index
for more information.

1-46 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
air bag systems. To purchase a service manual, see
ªService and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an air bag can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to an
air bag when it inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the air bag systems.
Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing work for you
is qualified to do so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners. You'll find
them on the buckle end of the safety belts for the driver
and right front passenger. They help the safety belts
reduce a person's forward movement in a moderate
to severe crash in which the front of the vehicle
hits something.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash,
you'll need to get new ones, and probably other new
parts for your safety belt system. See ªReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crashº in the Index.

1-66
With this system, use the LATCH system instead of the
vehicle's safety belts to secure a child restraint.
CAUTION:
If a LATCH-type child restraint isn't attached
to its anchorage points, the restraint won't be
able to protect a child sitting there. In a crash,
the child could be seriously injured or killed.
Make sure that a LATCH
-type child restraint
is properly installed using the anchorage points,
or use the vehicle's safety belts to secure the
restraint. See ªSecuring a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Positionº in the Index for
information on how to secure a child restraint
in your vehicle using the vehicle's safety belts.