Oldsmobile 1996 Eighty-Eight User manual

I The 1996 OldsmobileEighty-EightOwner’sManual
Seats and Restraint Systems ..............................................................
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly.It also explains the “SRS” system.
FeaturesandControls ..................................................................
This section explains ‘howto start and operate your Oldsmobile.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems .....................................................
This section tells you howto adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
audio system.
YourDrivingandtheRoad ..............................................................
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad ..................................................................
This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as aflat tire or
overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care ............................................................
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Oldsmobile running properly and looking good.
Maintenanceschedule ..................................................................
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 Oldsmobilefor assistanceand how to get service and owner publications.
It also givesyou information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-7.
Index ................................................................................
Here’s an alphabetical listingof almost every subjectin this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
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2-1
3-1
4-1
5-1
6-1
7-1
8-1
9-1
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GENERAL MOTORS, GM and theG$ Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem
and the name EIGHTY-EIGHT are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the timeit
was printed.We reserve the right to make changes
in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles firstsoldin Canada,, substitute the name
“General Motorsof Canada Limited”for Oldsmobile
Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep
this manual inyour Oldsmobile, so it will
be there
if you ever needit when you’re on the road. If
you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
newownercanuseit.
1
,4
I
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 22640104.A First Edition
We support voluntary
technician certification.
WE SUPPORT
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriktaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire dece guide en frangais chez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
-DGNMarketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario
LST 1C7
@Copyright General Motors Corporation 1995
All Rights Reserved
I.
D.
II

How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manualfrombeginning
to end when theyfirstreceive their new vehicle.
If you
do
this, it will helpyou learn aboutthe features and
controlsfor your vehicle. In
this manual, you’ll find that
pictures and words work together toexplain
things
quickly.
Index
A good place to lookforwhat you need isthe Index in
theback of themanual. It’s an alphabeticallist of all
that’s in the manual, andthepage number where you’ll
findit.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a numberof safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt
you if you were to ignorethe
warning.
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area,we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you what todo to help avoidor reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash throughit in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t
do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
iil

r
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also in this book you will find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
In the notice area, wetellyou about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times,
this damage would
iv
not be cov&&dby your warranty, anditcould be costly.
But the notice will tellyou what todoto help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you 'might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or
in different
words.
You'll also see warning labelsonyour vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTIONorNOTICE.
I

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbolsyou may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
areused on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
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
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e
TURN
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WIPER w
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINEOIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
m
HORN )a(
SPEAKER.
c>
FUEL *e3
V

NOTES
vi.

Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
Here you’llfind information about the seats in your
Oldsmobile and howto use your safety belts properly.
You can alsolearnabout some things you should not do
with
air bags and safety belts.
Seats and Seat Controls
This section .tells you aboutthe seats -- how to
adjust
them -- and alsoabout reclining seatbacks and
head restraints.
Manual Front Seat
’ I
A CAUTION:
I
I
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
thevehicleisnotmoving.
~
.-
Pullup on the control bar under the front of the seat to
unlock it.Slidethe seat
to where you want it. Then
release the
bar, and try to movethe seat with your body,
to make surethe seatis locked into place.
1-1

Power Seat (Option) Reclining Front 'Seatbacks
'I
-1 To adjust the power seat:
Seat Control (A): Raise the
frontof the seatby holding
the frontof the switch up.
Lowerthe frontof the seat
by holding thefrontof the
switch down.
Raise the rear
of the seatby holdingtherear of the
switchup. Lowertherear of 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 back by holding the switch back.
Seatback Control (B): Tilt the seatback forwardby
holding the switch forward. Tiltthe seatback backward
bv holding the switch back.
To adjustthe seatback,liftthe leveron the outer side of
the seat and move the seatbackto where you want it.
Release the lever to lock the seatback.hllup on the
lever and the seat will goto an upright position.

But don’t have a seatback reclinedif your vehicle
is moving.
Sitting in
a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their jobwhen
you’re reclined like
this.
The shoulder beltcan’t do its job because it
won’t be against yourbody. Instead, it will be in
frwtof you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap beltcan’t
do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forceswould be there, not
at your pelvic bones:
Thiscould cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protectionwhen the vehicle
is in
motion,’have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back intheseat and wear yoursafety belt
properly.
1-3

Head Restraints
Slidethe head restraint up or down so thatthe top of the
restraintis closest to the topof your ears.
This position
reduces
the chanceof a neck injury in a crash.
On some models,thehead restraintstiltforward and
rearward also.
Safety Belts: They’refor Everyone
This part of the manual tells youhow to use safety belts
properly.
It also tells you some things you should not-do
with safety belts.
hditexplains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
L
Don’t let anyone ride wherehe orshecan’t wear
a safety beltproperly. If you arein a crash,and
you’re not wearing
a safetybelt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected fromit.
You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In the same crash,you might
not be if youarebuckled up. Alwaysfasten your
safetybelt, and check that yourpassengers” belts
arefastened properlytoo.

BeltReminderLight” h
the Index.)
A.
comes on as a reminder to
buckle ug. (See “Safety When you ride
in or on anything, you go as fast as
._
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll bein a crash. If you do have a
crash,you don’t know ifit will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious thatevenbuckled 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 orkilled.
After more than
25 years of safety beltsin vehicles,
the facts
are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
It goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’sjust a seat
on wheels.

Put someone onit. Get it up to speed. Then stopthevehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.

The peyson keeps goiq til stopped by som&hing.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ..:
or the instrument panel. L.

..
Here ,.Are_Que'stions Many Peaple Ask
About Safety B,&lts, -- and thk, Answers
Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I'm wearing a safety belt3 "
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
behg conscious during and after. an accident, so
. . -' you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
'# youarebelted.
1f:my vehicle'has, air bags, why should I haveto
wear'safetybelts-?
.
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
' I. , most of them in thefuture.Buttheyare
or'the
safety ,# belts!.
With-safety belts, you slow downas the vehicledoes.safetybelts -- notinstead of them.'Every air bag
YOU get mare time to.stop. YOU stopovermore distance,, systemeverofferedforsalehasrequiredtheuseof.
and yow strQngestbonestakethe farces."hat's.why-
' safetybelts.Even if you're 'in avehicle'thathas air
safety belts make such good sense. bags, you
still have to buckle upto,getthe most
protection. That'strue,notonly
in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
supplementalsystemsonly;
so they work with .,
1-8
I'

&: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protectyou
from things beyond your
control, suchasbad drivers.
Mosbaccidents occur within
25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occurat speedsof lessthan
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts arefor everyone.
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,seethe
part of this manual called
“Children.” Follow those rules
for everyone’s
protection.
First, you’ll wanttoknow which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll startwiththe 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 wearit
properly.
1. Close andlockthe door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in thejlndex)
so you can situp straight.
I

3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across‘you.
4. Push the latch plate &tothebuckle untilit clicks.
Don’t letit get twisted.
Pull up
on the latch plateto make sureit is secure. If
thebelt isn’t longenough,see“Safety Belt
Extender’’ at the end
of this section.
Make sure the release button on the buckleis
positioned
so you would be able to unbucklethe
safety belt quicklyif youever had to.
Thelap
part of thebelt should.be wom low and snugon
the hips,just touching the thighs.
In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones.And you’d be
less
likely to slide under thelapbelt. If you slid underit, the
belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could
cause serious or evenfatalinjuries.The shoulder belt
should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These
parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining
forces.
The safety belt locks
if there’s a sudden stop or crash.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin todrive,move the shoulder belt
adjuster tothe height thatis right foryou.
,,
To move it down, squeezetherelease handle and move
the height adjuster tothe desired position.You can move
the adjuster upjust by pushing up on the bottom
of the
release handle. After you movethe adjuster to where
you wantit,
try to move it down without squeezing the
release handleto make sureit has lockedintoposition.
Adjustthe height
so that the shoulder portionof the
beltis centeredonyour shoulder.Thebelt should be
away fromyour face and neck, but notfallhg
off
your shoulder.
1-11

&: What’s wrong with this?
I I I 1 1 1 I 1 I 1 I
A: Theshoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly
as much protection thisway.
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is
too loose. In a crash, you would move forward
too much, which could increase injury. The
shoulder belt should
fit against your body.