tow Oldsmobile Silhouette 2002 s Owner's Guide

2-49
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you're:

Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.

Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
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 AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) for higher speeds.
Warm-Up Shift
Your vehicle has a computer controlled transaxle
designed to warm up the engine faster when the outside
temperature is 35F (2C) or colder. You may notice
that the transaxle will shift at a higher vehicle speed
until the engine is warmed up. This is a normal
condition designed to provide heat to the passenger's
compartment and defrost the windows more quickly.
See ªComfort Controls, Heatingº in the Index for
more information.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, but it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):

When driving on hilly, winding roads.

When towing a trailer (so there is less shifting
between gears).

When going down a steep hill.

2-52
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot while you push
down on the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
(To release the tension on the parking brake cable,
you will need to apply about the same amount of
pressure to the parking brake pedal as you did when
you set the parking brake.) When you remove your
foot from the parking brake pedal, it will pop up to the
released position.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won't move, even
when you're on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you're pulling a trailer, see
ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.

2-53
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:

Pull the lever toward you.

Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).

2-54 Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-57
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in
the Index.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbols on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise it to the highest level
to give your legs more room when you exit and enter
the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the wheel is located on
the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever.
Then move the wheel to a comfortable position and
release the lever to lock the wheel in place.

2-59
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned
-out bulbs and check the
fuse. See ªBulb Replacementº and ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº in the Index.
If you have a trailer towing option with added wiring
for the trailer lamps, the signal indicator will flash at
a normal rate even if a turn signal bulb is burned out.
Check the front and rear turn signal lamps regularly to
make sure they are working.
Turn Signal On Chime
If either turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound to let the driver know to
turn it off.
If the you need to leave the signal on for more than
3/4 mile (1.2 km), turn off the signal and then turn it
back on.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from high to low beam, or low
to high, simply pull the turn signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
Your fog lamps will turn off when you switch to
high beams. Using your high beams in fog is
not recommended.
Flash-to-Pass Feature
When the headlamps are off, pull the lever toward you
to momentarily switch on the high beams (to signal that
you are going to pass). When you release the lever, they
will turn off.

2-60 Windshield Wipers
To operate the windshield wipers turn the band marked
WIPER, located on the multifunction lever, upward
or downward.
MIST: Turn the band to MIST for a single wiping cycle.
Hold it there until the windshield wipers start. Then let it
go. The windshield wipers will stop after one wipe. If
you want more wipes, hold the band on mist longer.
OFF: Turn the band to OFF to turn off the
windshield wipers.
LOW: Turn the band to LOW, for steady wiping at
low speed.
HIGH: Turn the band to HIGH, for steady wiping at
high speed.
DELAY: Turn the band away from you to one of the
five sensitivity settings between OFF and LOW, to
choose the delayed wiping cycle. The further the band is
turned toward LOW, the shorter the delay will be. Use
this setting for light rain or snow.
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 from the wiper blades before
using them. If they're frozen to the windshield, carefully
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.
Windshield Washer
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 earlier.
CAUTION:
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.

2-71
Cargo Lamp
The cargo lamp is located in the rear of your vehicle,
above the liftgate opening, and does not have a switch.
The cargo lamp will come on each time you open a
door, unless you turn on the interior lamps override.
See ªInterior Lamps Override Switchº in the Index.
Battery Saver
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery, in case you accidentally leave the
interior lamps on. If you leave any interior lamps on
while the ignition is in LOCK or OFF, they will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. The lamps
won't come back on again until you:

Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY,

turn the interior lamps thumbwheel all the way to the
right, then slightly back to the left, or

open (or close and reopen) a door that is closed.
If your vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on the
odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps after
only three minutes.
Mirrors
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from lights behind you, pull the lever
toward you (to the night position). To return the mirror
to the day position, push the lever away from you.
Power Remote Control Rearview Mirrors
The control on the driver's
door operates both outside
rearview mirrors.

2-74 Overhead Console (Option)
The optional front overhead console has reading lamps,
a switchbank, storage compartments, OnStar
System
buttons, an optional Driver Information Center (DIC)
and optional HomeLink

Transmitter buttons. For
information on the features listed see each of them in
the Index.
Storage Bin
At the base of the center instrument panel console, there
is a storage bin. To open the bin, lift the latch release
and the door will fold down.
Inside the bin, you will find a tray that slides out. Slide
the tray all the way toward the rear of the vehicle until
the tray locks onto the plastic tabs at the end of the
guide rails. The tray can hold CDs or cassettes in the
center area. You can also store cassettes in the left and
right side area. The tray can be removed for cleaning
or when you want to replace the selection of CDs or
cassettes. Slide the tray back into the storage bin before
closing the bin door. The tray can also be placed in the
glove box for locked storage if desired.

2-78 Side Convenience Nets
The side convenience nets are designed to hold
smaller items (about 8 lbs. (4 kg)) than the large
convenience net.
Attach the loops to the posts on the rear side panels, near
the jack storage area.
When not in use, it is recommend that you take down
the convenience nets to extend the life of the nets and to
help retain their elasticity.
Front Seat Storage Net
There is a storage net that stretches between the front
seats. Pull the hooks toward the passenger's seat and
insert them into the holes.
To store the net, lift the hooks up and out of the holes.
The net does not detach from the driver's seat.
When not in use, it is recommend that you unhook the
net to extend its life and retain its elasticity.