Oldsmobile AURORA 2003 User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-28
Air Bag Systems ...................................... 1-47
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-55
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-10
Windows ................................................. 2-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-19
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-23
Mirrors .................................................... 2-35
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-39
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-41
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-45
Sunroof .................................................. 2-47
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-48
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-23
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-45
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-59
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-33
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-12
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-50
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-59
Tires ...................................................... 5-60
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-82
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-90
Electrical System ...................................... 5-91
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-100
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts .... 5-101
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-1
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index ................................................................ 1
2003 Oldsmobile Aurora Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem and
the AURORA emblem are registered trademarks of
General Motors Corporation. “AURORA” is used with the
permission of Hankook Tire.
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.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25735873 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/19/02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
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.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
ii

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.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will 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 has 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:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

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

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Passenger Seat ..................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Safety Belts .....................................................1-8
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-8
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-13
Driver Position ..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-20
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-21
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-21
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-25
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-27
Child Restraints .............................................1-28
Older Children ..............................................1-28
Infants and Young Children ............................1-30
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-34
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-37
Top Strap ....................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-39
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System .........................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position ...................................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-44
Air Bag Systems ............................................1-47
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-49
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-51
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-52
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-52
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? ...1-52
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-54
Restraint System Check ..................................1-55
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-55
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash ......................................................1-56
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Passenger Seat
{CAUTION:
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 located under the front of the
seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it
and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body
to make sure the seat is locked into place.
Power Seats
The power seat controls are located on the outboard
side of the driver’s front seat. The front passenger’s seat
may also have power seat controls located on the
outboard side of the seat.
1-2

To adjust the power seats, do the following:
Horizontal Control: Raise or lower the front of the seat
cushion by pressing the forward edge of the control
up or down.
Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by pressing
the rear edge of the control up or down.
Move the seat forward or rearward by pressing the
control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.
Move the seat higher or lower by holding the whole
control up or down.
Vertical Control (Option): Move the seatback into a
reclined position by pressing the top of the control
backward.
Move the seatback forward by pressing the top of the
control forward.
Manual Lumbar
If your vehicle has this feature, the knob that controls it
is located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat.
Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase
lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the
vehicle to decrease lumbar support.
If you have the independent front cushion moved down
as far as it will go, you may feel the lumbar support
higher in your back. Readjust the location of the cushion
until you are comfortable. You may also want to
adjust the seatback for maximum comfort.
1-3

Power Lumbar
If your vehicle has this
feature, the power lumbar
control is located on
the outboard side of each
front seat. Use the
power seat control first to
get the proper position.
Then continue with
the lumbar adjustment.
To reshape the lower seatback, press the lumbar
control forward to increase support and rearward to
decrease support. Press the control up or down to raise
or lower the support mechanism.
Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as
it may during long trips, so should the position of
your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.
If you have the independent front cushion moved down
as far as it will go, you may feel the lumbar support
higher in your back. Readjust the location of the cushion
until you are comfortable. You may also want to
adjust the seatback for maximum comfort.
1-4

Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
option, the heated seat
switch is located next
to the console shifter.
Push the ON part of the switch once for a HI setting or
twice for a LO setting. Push the OFF part of the
switch to turn the heated seat off. The LO setting warms
the seatback and cushion until the seat approximates
body temperature. The HI setting heats the seatback
and cushion to a slightly higher temperature.
The heated seats can only be used when the ignition is
turned on. When the ignition is turned off, the heating
element is also turned off.
Reclining Seatbacks
If your vehicle has a power
recliner, the vertical control
described previously in
this section reclines
the front seatbacks.
If your vehicle has the manual recliner, lift the lever on
the outboard side of the seat and move the seatback
to the desired position. Release the lever to lock
the seatback. Pull up on the lever without pushing on
the seatback and the seatback will go to an upright
position.
1-5

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. 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.
1-6

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.
1-7

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are 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.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in 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 or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
1-8

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-33
.
In most states and in all 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 be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled 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
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
1-9

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
1-10

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-11

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,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: 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.
1-12

Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work
with
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m a 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’re in an
accident – even one that isn’t your fault – 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 number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people 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 vehicle, see
Older Children on page 1-28
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-30 . Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
1-13

Driver Position
This part describes the 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 so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
1-14