Oldsmobile 1996 88 User manual

The 1997 Oldsrnobile Eighty Eight Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Oldsmobile.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Oldsmobile running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Oldsmobile for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-8.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you w’ant to read.
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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem
andthename EIGHTY EIGHT are registered
trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includesthelatest information at the timeit
was printed.We reservetheright to make changesin the
product after that time without further notice.
For
vehicles firstsoldin Canada, substitute the name
'General Motors
of Canada Limited"for Oldsmobile
Division wheneverit appearsin
this manual.
Pleasekeep this manual
in your Oldsmobile, so it will
be there if you ever needit when you're on the road. I€
you sellthevehicle, please leave this manual init sothe
new owner can
use it.
Litho
in U.S.A.
Part No. 22652544 B First Edition
We support voluntary
technician certification.
1
b I
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Lahguage Manual:
Aux propriCtaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplairedeceguide en
fiangais chez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, OntarioL5T IC7
)
Copyright General Motors Corporation 1996
All Rights Reserved

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manualfrombeginning
end when theyfirstreceive their new vehicle.If you
do this,it will help you learn aboutthe features and
controlsfor your vehicle.In this manual, you’llfind
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to lookfor what you needis the Index in
theback of the manual. It’s an alphabeticallist of all
that’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll
findit.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a numberof safety cautionsinthis book.
We use a box andthe word
CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt youif you were to ignore
the warning.
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you whatthe hazard is. Then
we tell you what todo to help avoid or reducethe
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
You
will also find a circle
with a slash through itin
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’tdothis,”or “Don’t
let this happen.’’
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Vehicle DamageWarnings In thenoticearea,wetellyouaboutsomethingthatcan
damage your- vehicle.
Many times, this damage would
But the notice will tellyou whatto do to help avoid
thedamage.
When you read other manuals, you might
see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in merentcolors or in
Werent words.
You’ll
also seewarning labelsonyour vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Also in this.bookyouwillfindthesenotices:notbecoveredbyyourwarranty,and it couldbecostly.
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used
on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
Thesesymbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
Q
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAITERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
t
LIGHTER m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL la
V

NOTES

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Seats and Seat Controls
Power .Seat (If Equipped)
This section tellsyou about the seats -- how to
adjust them -- and also about reclining seatbacks and
head restraints,
Manual Front Seat
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle
is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
Pull up on the control bar under thefrontof the seat to
unlock it.Slidethe seat to whereyou want it. Then
release the bar and
try to move the seat with your body,
to make sure the seat is lockedintoplace.
4-
To adjust the power seat:
Seat Control (A): Raise the
frontof the seatby holding
the frontof the switch up.
Lower the front
of the seat
by holding the frontof the
switch down.
Raise the rearof the seatby holding the rearof the
switch up. Lower the rearof the seatby holding the rear
of the switch down.
Move the seat higher by holding the switch up. Lower
the seatby holding the switch down.
Move the seat forwardby holding the switch forward.
Move the seat backby holding the switch back.
Seatback Control (B): Tilt the seatback forwardby
holding the switch forward. Tilt the seatback backward
by holding the switch back.
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Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift theleveronthe outer side of
the seat and move the seatback to where you want it. But don't have a seatback
rechid if your vehicle is moving.
Release the lever tolockthe seatback. Pull .. up on the
lever rind the seat will go to an upright position.
Sittingin a reclined position when your vehicleis
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
CAUTION: (Continued)
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-AUTION: (C itinued)
up, your safetybelts can’t do their jobwhen
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulderbelt can’t do its jobbecause it
won’t beagainst yourbody. Instead, itwill be in
front of you. In
a crash you could go into it,
receiving neckor otherinjuries.
The lapbelt can’t do itsjob either.
In a crash the
belt could go up over yourabdomen. The belt
forceswould bethere, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protection whenthe vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright.Then sit well
back
in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
Head Restraints
Slidethe head restraint up or down so that the top.of the
restraintis closest tothetop of
your ears. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
SafetyBelts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly.
It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS),
or
air bag system.
Don’t let anyone ride wherehe or shecan’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you arein a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In thesame crash,you might
not be if you arebuckled up. Alwaysfasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properlytoo.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.

It is extremely dangerousto ridein a cargo area,
inside or outsideof
a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areasaremore likely to be
seriouslyinjured orkilled.
Do not allowpeople to
ride in any areaof your vehicle that
is not
equipped with seats and safetybelts. Be sure
everyone in yourvehicle
is in a seat andusing a
safety beltproperly.
Your vehicle hasa light that
comes on asa reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety Belt
ReminderLight”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 bea bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled upaperson wouldn’t survive.
Butmostcrashesareinbetween.Inmany
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
25 years of safety beltsin vehicles,
the facts are clear.In most crashes bucklingup does
matter
... a lot!
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Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anythmg, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just
a seat on wheels.
Put someone
on it.
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Get it up to speed. Thenstopthe vehicle.Therider
doesn’t stop. Theperson keeps going until stopped
by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
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-. .
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
ad your strongest bones take theforces.That's why
safety belts make such good sense.

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
e.’ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing
a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down.And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
e.’ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most of them inthe future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts -- not insteadof them. Every air bag
system ever offeredfor sale has requiredthe use of
safety belts. Even
if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, youstillhave to buckle up toget the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
wear safety belts?
Q.’ If I’ma good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’rein an
accident
-- even one that isn’t yourfault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest numberof serious injuries
and deaths occur at speedsof less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts areforeveryone.
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How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is onlyforpeople 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
Oldsmobile, see the part of this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll startwith the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describesthe 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 (to see how,see“Seats” in the Index)
so you cansitup straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle untilit clicks.
Don’t let
it get twisted.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure itis secure.
If the belt isn’t long enough,see“Safety Belt
Extender” at the endof
this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned
so you would be ableto unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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Thelappart of the belt should be worn low and snugon
the hips,just touching the thighs.In a crash, this applies
forceto the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less
likely to slide under thelapbelt.
If you slid underit,the
belt would applyforce at your abdomen. This could
cause serious or evenfatalinjuries.The shoulder belt
should
go over the shoulder and acrossthe chest.
These partsof the body are best able to take belt
restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash.
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Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Beforeyou begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is rightforyou.
To move it down, squeeze the release handle and move
the height adjuster to the desired position.You canmove
the adjuster upjust by pushing up on the bottom of the
release handle. After you move the adjuster to where
you wantit,
try to moveit down without squeezing the
release handle to make sureit has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portionof the
belt
is centered on your shoulder.Thebelt should be
away from yourfaceand neck, but not falling
off
your shoulder.
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