Oldsmobile 2001 Silhouette User manual

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2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette
Owner’s Manual
Litho in U.S.A. E Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/22/01
Part Number 10315372 A First Edition All Rights Reserved

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GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem
and the name SILHOUETTE are registered trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Oldsmobile Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will
be there if you ever need it when you’re on the road.
If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the new owner can use it.
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207

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How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you
do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of 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 ignore
the warning.
CAUTION:
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 to do to help avoid or 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 through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t
let this happen.”

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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, we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to 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 labels on your vehicle.
They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle may be equipped with components and
labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols,
used on your vehicle, are shown along with the text
describing the operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics in the Index:
D “Engine Compartment Overview”
D “Instrument Panel”
D “Comfort Controls”
D “Audio Systems”
Also see “Warning Lights and Gages” in the Index.

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These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:

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Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
1-2 Seats and Seat Controls
1-7 Rear Seats
1-21 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
1-26 Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
1-27 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
1-27 Driver Position
1-35 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
1-36 Right Front Passenger Position
1-36 Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS)
1-45 Safety Belt Pretensioners
1-45 Rear Seat Passengers
1-48 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
1-51 Center Passenger Position (Bench Seat)
1-52 Children
1-56 Restraint Systems for Children
1-73 Older Children
1-76 Safety Belt Extender
1-76 Checking Your Restraint Systems
1-76 Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash

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Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, take them out, put them back in, fold and
unfold them.
Manual Front Passenger Seat
To move the seat, pull up
the lever located on the
front of the seat to unlock it.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
Six-Way Power Seat
The six-way power seat
control is located on the
outboard side of the driver’s
front seat.
D Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion of the cushion up or down.
D Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust the
rear portion of the cushion up or down.
D Lift up or push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
D To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.

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Eight-Way Power Seats (If Equipped)
The eight-way power seat
controls are located on the
outboard sides of both the
driver’s and the front
passenger’s seats.
D Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion of the cushion up or down.
D Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust the
rear portion of the cushion up or down.
D Lift up or push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
D To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.
D To raise and recline the seatback, push or pull the
top of the control forward or rearward.

1-4
Memory Seat (Option)
If your vehicle has this
feature, the controls are
located to the left of the
steering column and are
used to program and recall
the driver’s seat settings.
Adjust the driver’s seat to the position you would like
for driving. Then press and hold memory button 1 for
more than three seconds. A double beep will sound
when the memory is set.
To set the seat for a second driver, follow the previous
steps, but press button 2 instead.
To recall your memory positions, your vehicle must
be in PARK (P). Press and release the memory button
(1 or 2) corresponding to the desired driving position.
The seat will move to the position previously stored for
the identified driver. You will hear one beep.
You can also store an exit position for each driver. The
exit position is programmed by moving the seat to the
desired exit position and then holding the EXIT button
for more than three seconds. The exit position set will be
for the most recently selected driving position (1 or 2).
A double beep will sound when the memory is set. To
use EXIT, your vehicle must be in PARK (P). Press and
release the EXIT button and the seat will move to the
exit position stored for the most recently selected driver.
You will hear one beep.
To stop recall movement of the seat at any time,
press one of the three memory buttons or one of the
power seat controls located on the outboard side of the
driver’s seat.

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Heated Front Seats (Option)
If your vehicle has this
option, the heated seat
switches are located in the
instrument panel switchbank.
This feature will quickly heat the lower cushions and
lower back of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats for
added comfort.
The left switch is for the driver’s seat and the right
switch is for the front passenger’s seat. Press the bottom
of the switch to turn the heater on. The indicator light on
the switch will glow. Press the top of the switch to turn
the heater off. The heated seat switch will turn off when
the ignition is turned to OFF and resume operation when
the ignition is turned to RUN, unless the switch is
manually turned off.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
All front seats recline.
To adjust the manual seatback, pull up on the lever
located on the outboard sides of both the driver’s and the
front passenger’s seat. It is easier to recline the seat if
you lean forward, taking your weight off the seatback.
If your vehicle has the eight–way power seats, there is a
power recliner. See “Eight–Way Power Seats” earlier in
this section.

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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
CAUTION:
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 job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.

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Head Restraints Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position reduces
the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The front seat head restraints are fixed on some models
and adjustable on others. Slide the head restrint up or
down to adjust it.
The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle may be
adjustable. They work the same as the front seat
head restraints.
Rear Seats
Seat Controls
The rear seats in your vehicle have levers and straps
used to adjust, remove and reinstall the seats. By using
the levers and straps, in the correct order, you can easily
remove the seats from your vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, be
sure to follow the label on the back of the seat for
proper location.

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Flip and Fold Feature
The seats in your vehicle can be folded forward.
1. If the seats have the adjustable head restraints, push
them fully down.
2. Fold the seatback flat on the seat by either pulling on
the nylon strap on the rear of the seat or lifting up on
the lever located on the front of the seatback. If the
seat adjusts forward, slide it all the way back.
3. Release the rear set of hooks from the floor pins by
pulling the nylon strap located at the base of the seat;
hang on to the straps as the seat folds forward.
To return the seat(s) to the normal position, do
the following:
1. Push the seat back and firmly push the rear hooks
onto the rear floor pins by pushing down on the rear
of the seat.
2. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
3. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon strap
on the back of the seat and raise the seatback until it
locks upright.
4. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it
is locked.

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Split Bench Seat (If Equipped)
If you have the third row split bench seat, the seatbacks
can be folded forward or reclined individually and the
seats can be removed individually.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
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.
The seatbacks on each section of the split bench seat
can be either folded forward or reclined. The following
explains how to use the nylon strap to fold or recline
the seatbacks.
To fold the seatback
forward, pull this nylon
strap located on the rear of
the seat. The seatback will
lock into place.
To raise a seatback, pull the nylon strap while raising the
seatback until it locks upright. Push and pull on the
seatback to check that it is locked into place.
To recline the seatback, pull the nylon strap. Press back
on the seatback until you reach the desired position then
let go of the nylon strap.
To return the seatback to an upright position, pull on
the nylon strap without putting any pressure on the
seatback. Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it
is locked into place.
The following explains how to use the recliner lever to
fold or recline the seatbacks.

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To fold the seatback
forward, lift up on the
recliner lever located
on the front of the
seatback. The seatback
will lock into place.
To raise a seatback, lift the recliner lever while raising
the seatback until it locks upright. Push and pull on the
seatback to check that it is locked into place.
To recline the seatback, lift the recliner lever. Press back
on the seatback until you reach the desired position then
let go of the recliner lever.
To return the seatback to an upright position, lift
the recliner lever without putting any pressure on the
seatback. Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked into place.
Removing the Split Bench Seat
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position.
1. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon strap
on the back of the seat to fold the seatback forward.
2. From behind the bench seat, pull the nylon strap at
the center of the base of the seat to release the rear
latches from the floor pins.
Do not let go of the strap until the seat is folded all
the way forward.

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3. To unlatch the front latches, squeeze the angled bar
toward the straight crossbar.
4. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly forward, then
toward the rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.
Replacing the Split Bench Sections
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.
CAUTION:
A seat that isn’t locked into place properly can
move around in a collision or sudden stop. People
in the vehicle could be injured. Be sure to lock
the seat into place properly when installing it.

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CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person wearing
the belt could be seriously injured. After
installing the seat, always check to be sure that
the safety belts are properly routed and attached,
and are not twisted.
Make sure the seatback is in the upright position and the
safety belts are on the correct section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat in so they face
rearward because they won’t latch that way.
The split bench seats have seat position labels, located
on the back of each seat, showing where the seat must
go. Follow that diagram.
The seat must be placed in the proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.
1. Squeeze the angled bar toward the solid crossbar
while placing the front hooks of the bench seat onto
the front two floor pins.

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2. Make sure the
bench seat is
angled so that 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.
If the front latches are not attaching correctly, check
that the seat is in the full rear position.
3. Firmly push the rear hooks onto the rear floor pins
by pushing down on the rear of the seat.
4. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
5. Lift the seatback recliner lever or pull the nylon strap
on the back of the seat and raise the seatback until it
locks upright.
6. Push and pull on the seatback to check that it is locked.
Repeat these steps for the other section of the split
bench seat.

1-14
Captain’s Chairs
The seatbacks on the captain’s chairs can be folded
forward or reclined and the seats can be removed.
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
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. To recline the seatback, lift up on the recliner lever,
located on the outboard side of the seat. Use the recliner
lever to move the seatback to the desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward, taking the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on the second row captain’s chairs also
fold forward to put items behind the left and right seats.
Lift up on the recliner lever and fold the seatback
forward. The seatback will lock into place when you
push it back to the upright position.
The armrests can be lowered or raised for entering or
exiting the vehicle.