OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 Owners Manual

Automatic Transaxle Operation
Maximum engine speed is limited when you’re in
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL
(N), to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
There are several different positions for your shift lever
PARK (P): This gear position locks your front wheels.
It’s the best position to use when you start your
engine because your vehicle can’t move easily.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift
lock control system. You have to fully
apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition key is in RUN.
As you step on the brake pedal,
while in PARK
(P), you may hear a click from the solenoid
of the system. This ensures that the system is operating
properly.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever - push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then move
the shift lever into the gear you wish. See Shifting
Out
of Park (P) on page 2-42.
It is 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 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, always set your parking brake and
move the
shift lever to PARK (P). See “Shifting
Into Park (P)”
in the Index. If you’re pulling a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
2-36

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
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-30.
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 into a drive gear while your engine
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 into a drive gear while your engine
is racing.
“rqcjng” (running 3t high speed) i$ dangP?rQl!s
Notice: Damage to your transaxle caused by
shifting into a drive gear with the engine racing
isn’t covered by your warranty.
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
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
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,
.lave 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
accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down. n\~nnn~
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2-37

Warm-up Shift
Your vehicle has a computer controlled transaxle
designed to warm up the engine faster when the outside
temperature is
35°F (2°C) 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 compartment
and defrost the windows more quickly. See
Climate
Control System on
page 3-25 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
When going down a steep hill. between gears).
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power,
but lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND
(2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes
off and on.
Notice: Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD
(3) or
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) as much as possible.
Don’t
shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you can damage
your engine.
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 shift
lever is put in FIRST
(I), the transaxle won’t downshift
into first gear until the vehicle is going slow enough.
Notice: If your front wheels won’t turn, 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 to hold your
vehicle in position on a
hill.
2-38

Parking Brake
The parking brake is
located on the driver’s
side under the
instrument panel.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will
come on. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 3-44.
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.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal If
you are towing a trailer and are parking on any
hill,
brake pedal with your left foot. what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
down with your right foot
and push down on the parking see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-36, That section shows
2-39

Shifting Into Park (P)
-
It can -2 dangerou- -0 get out of your veh e
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 “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
/ I
Pull the lever toward you.
2-40

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 (PI.
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave \w.iicle 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
I your vehicle with the engine running.
I
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 reguiar brake pedai down. Then, see
ii 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).
2-41

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 “torque lock.”
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
Shifting lnto Park (P)
on page 2-40.
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).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You have to fully
apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P), when
the ignition is in RUN.
As you step on the brake pedal, while in PARK (P),
you may hear a click from the solenoid of the system.
This ensures that the system is operating properly.
See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-36.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then try
to move the shift lever into the gear you want. If you
ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
2-42

Parking Over Things That Burn Engine E> aust
.. . .
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things.
that can burn.
I
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see or
smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming
in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris. or different.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust
is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately. blow out any
CO; and
2-43

Running Your Engine While You
Are
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, hpre are some things
to know.
Idling the engine with the climate co~,.,ol
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust.”
Also, idling
in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan
is at the highest settin:,. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust - with
CO - can come in easily. NEVEt3 park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See “Winter Driving” in the Index.
It can De 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
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-40.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on
page 4-36.
2-44

Mirrors
Manual 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.
Outside Power Mirrors
The control located on the
driver’s door operates both
outside rearview mirrors. Turn
the control counterclockwise to select the driver’s
side rearview mirror, or clockwise to select the
passenger’s side rearview mirror.
Then use the control to adjust each mirror
so that you
can see a little
of the side of your vehicle and the
area beside and behind your vehicle when you are
sitting in a comfortable driving position.
If you are not adjusting either mirror, leave the control
in the center
off position. This prevents moving the
mirrors accidentally once you have them adjusted.
Both outside mirrors can be folded forward or rearward.
In the rearward position, they will fold almost flush
with the vehicle. This feature
is particularly useful in
automatic car washes.
2-45