Oldsmobile Cutlass 1978 Series User manual

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A WORD TO OLDSMOBILE OWNERS
manual has been prepared to a<XIuaint you with the operation and maintenance of your
8 Oldsmobile, and
to provide important safety information. It is supplemented by two
convenient folders. These folders
give you maintenance and warranty information. We urge
you
to read these publications carefully. Follow the recommendations to help assure the most
enjoyable and troublefree operation
of your car.
rPl<,tiiTIO this manual, you will notice that many specifications are given in both metric
CUl!ilO.maryunits. precise accuracy is not needed, some conversions have been
l:lVe:nl1IUrrlb~lr$l()t your handy use.
~lrneli~(I¥"i~,.~e]1ielnbler that your Oldsmobile dealer knows your car best. Your
satisfaction. Return to your dealer for Guardian
repairs your car may need.
your needs, Oldsmobile maintains a number
of Zone Offices
you have a problem that has not been handled
to your satisfaction,
Section Six
of this manual under the heading ''Owner Assistance".
if()lr.Clll.i:'I()siIlg an Oldsmobile product, and want to assure you of our continuing
"'''''''>lL''''' and satisfaction.
OLDSMOBILE DIVISION
General Motors Corporation
Lansing, Michigan 48921
FOR CONTINUING
SATISFACTION, KEEP
YOUR
GM CAR ALLGM.
GENERAL MOTORS
PARTS ARE IDEN-
TIFIED BY ONE OF
THESE TRADEMARKS:
,...
V
DelCO
"NOTE TO CANADIAN OWNERS:
If preferred, a French Owner's Manual can
be obtained from either your Dealer or
by
writing to General Motors of Canada Limited,
Technical Publications Department, Oshawa,
Ontario L1J 5Z6."
Aux propriataires canadians
On peut se procurer un exemplaira de ce
Guide
en fran9ais aupres du concessionnaire
ou du service des publications technique
General Motors
of Canada Limited, Oshawa,
Ontario L1J 5Z6.
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1978
OLDSMOBILE
OWNER'S MANUAL
This manual should be considered a permanent
part of this car. It should stay with the car when
sold, to provide the next owner with important
safety, op~rating and maintenance information.
All information, illustrations and specifications
contained in this manual are based on the latest
product information available at the time of
printing. The right is reserved to make changes at
any time without notice.
For cars sold in Canada, substitute the name
General Motors of Canada Limited whenever
the name Oldsmobile Division
appear.; in this
manual.
Applicable to California Sales Only- This car as
delivered by GM Oldsmobile Division has a
bumper energy absorption system meeting
California Vehicle Code Section 34715.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
II
II
E
II
E
E
II
BEFORE DRIVING YOUR OLDSMOBILE
STARTING AND OPERATING
A-STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS
B-FLOOR CONTROLS
C-INSTRUMENT PANEL
D-OTHER CONTROLS AND FEATURES
E-STATION WAGON FEATURES
IN CASE 0F EMERGENCY
APPEARANCE CARE
SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE
SPECIFICATIONS, OWNER ASSISTANCE & INDEX
GAS STATION INFORMATION
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8"4'+11
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BEFORE DRIVING YOUR OLDSMOBILE
DRIVERDAllY CHECKLIST
BEFORE.ENTERING CAR:
1. See that windows, mirrors and lights are
clean.
2. Check whether any tire is low or flat.
(You may need to check with a
gage to
tell
if radial tires are properly inflated.)
3. Check that all lights work .
4. Look for fluid leaks.
5. Check area behind car if about to back
up.
BEFORE·DRIVING OFF:
1. Lock all doors.
2. Adjust seat and head restraints.
3. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
4. Fasten seat belts;
2
5. Check that warning lights work as key is
turned to "RUN" or "START".
6. Check all gages.
7. Release parking brake and see that
"BRAKE" light turns off.
8. Be sure you know your car and its
equipment and how
to use it safely.
GUARD AGAINST THEFT
For tips on how to protect your car and its
contents,
see the "Starting and Operating"
section of this manual.
KEYS
Two different keys are provided for the
locks
on your car. The key code is stamped
on the "knock-out" plug in the key head.
• Key with square head (letter "J")-for
ignition switch only.
• Key with oval head (letter "K") -for all
other locks.
For car security:
• Record the key code numbers; then
knock plugs out
of keys.
• Keep the key codes in a safe place such
as your wallet,NOT IN THE CAR.
If the original keys are lost, duplicates can
be made using the key codes. Contact any
GM dealer ora locksmith.
If you park in an attended lot,separate and
leave yoursquare-head ignition key only.
Lock your glove box and take the
oval-head key with you. This will help
prevent any illegal entry into the glove box
and trunk compartment.
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REAR SEAT FILLER PANEL
CAUTION: The filler panel between
the rear seat
and the rear window
should not be
used to carry objects -
even those that are small and light. In an
accident, they could be thrown about
and injure people in the car.
Large items
will also reduce
vision to the rear.
DOOR LOCKS
Front and rear doors can be locked from
the inside by pushing down the door lock
buttons on the upper door panel. All doors
can be locked from the outside by pushing
down the lock button
and clOSing the door.
The front doors
can also be locked with
the oval·head key.
EXTERIOR DOOR LATCH
Pull lift bar upward and outward to open
door.
POWER DOOR LOCKS
The power door-lock system (optional)
makes it possible to lock and unlock all
doors
at the same time.The switchbuttons
for the power door locks are on the lower
portion
of both front door panels or on the
door arm rests. The automatic locking
mechanism does
not, at any time,interfere
with manual operation
of any door lock
button. The doors will not open with the
inside door handle when the lock button
is
pushed down, but can be unlocked
individually by lifting the lock button.
3
CAUTION: For safety's sake, always
lock
the doors when driving. This
provides greater safety in accidents, and
helps
keep children from opening the
door(s).
1t also helps keep out intruders
when stopped for lights, etc.
TRUNK COMPARTMENT
The trunk compartment (all models except
station wagons) may
be opened with the
oval·head key and by lifting up on the
counterbalanced trunk lid.
To close, the lid
must be shut firmly to
engage the lock.
The spare wheel and wheel changing tools
are in the trunk.
FRONT SEATBACK LATCHES
Cars with folding front seats have inertial
seatback latches. The latches are designed
•
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to prevent movement of the front seatback
toward people in the front seat
ONLY
during a sudden slowing of the car.
Normally, when you want
to get in or out
of the rear seat, the seatback can be tilted
forward without unlatching the seatback
by hand. But when the car
is "nose down",
such as on a very steep hill, the inertial
latch may keep the seatback from being
moved forward.
If this happens, pull
rearward slightly on the seatback while
lifting
upon the seatback release lever. The
release lever
is either on the outboard side
or center at the bottom of each front
seatback. This will release the latch and
allow the seatback to be
moved forward.
Check periodically that
eachseatback
release lever moves up and down freely. If
the lever does not move freely,take the car
to your dealer for service. For the inertial
4
latch to work properly, the lever must be
in the "down" position.
Keep seat belt webbing ·and hardware clear
of seat parts when you tilt folding seats
forward or backward. This helps prevent
damage to these belt systems.
RECLINING SEATBACK-With this
option, the seatback
can be tilted rearward
from nonna! position by rotating the
control lever located at the outboard
side
of the seat cushion or the inboard rear of
tlie seat cushion (depending on style of
seat) and exerting rearward pressure on the
seatback.
With no pressure on the seatback,
allow it to return forward
to normal
position. The seatback may be kept in the
desired position by releasing the control
lever. However, when necessary, the
seatback
can be pushed forward without
actuating the control
lever .
MANUAL SEAT ADJUSTMENT
The front seat should be positioned to give
the driver access to the foot pedals,
steering wheel and instrument panel
SWitches, and for the best driving visibility.
• Adjust the seat by moving to the right
the seat lock control
lever located at the
lower front
of the seat.
• Once unlocked, exert slight body
pressure
to move the seat forward or
rearward.
• Release the lever to lock seat in desired
position.
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• Test seat to be sure it is securely locked.
CAUTION: After adjusting a manually
operated seat, push forward and
backward on seat
to be sure seat
adjusters have latched. Movement of the
seat indicates that
at least one latch did
not engage. This could increase the
chance of injury and/or the amount
of
injury in an accident. Take the car to
your dealer for service if you find that
your seat adjusters do not latch.
Do not
adjust a manually operated driver's seat
while the car
is moving. The seat could
move suddenly and could cause the
driver to lose control
of the car.
POWER OPERATED FRONT SEAT
SIX-WAY CONTROL-The six-way
control (optional on
some models) is
located on the outer seat cushion
side
panel. The seat can be adjusted as follows:
1. The front control provides
up and down
movement at the front of the seat.
2. The center control provides forward
and backward and up and down
movement
of the entire seat.
3. The rear control provides up and down
movement at the back
of the seat.
MANUAL WINDOW CONTRO L
On all vertical moving windows, turn
manual control clockwise to raise right
window and counterclockwise
to raise left
window. Reverse direction
to lower win·
dow. The rear quarter windows in coupes
and the rear door windows in sedans and
wagons are stationary. To open the rear
1. Door Handle
2. Power Door Lock Switch
3. Manual Window Control
4. Remote Mirror Control
window air deflector, rotate latch upward
to unlock. Push the rear
of the glass
outward. To close, pull window shut and
rotate latch into locked position.
POWERWINDOW CONTROLS
With this optional power window system,
the two front vertical moving windows
and/or the rear quarter swing-out windows
on sedans are controlled by the master
control switches located
on the left front
door or on the door arm rest. Individual
switches are provided
on each door for
passenger use.
All of these switches have an
ignition interlock
so that the windows
cannot be operated unless the ignition
switch
is . in "RUN." 5
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DAY-NIGHT
ADJUSTMENT
REARVIEW MIRRORS
INSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR-The
mirror
can be adjusted up, down or
sideways to obtain the best
view to the
front and rear.
Move the mirror lever to the
night position
to reduce. glare from
headlights
of vehicles behind you. For best
results,
move the lever to the right for day
driving and to the left for night driving.
OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR-Adjust
the outside mirror
so you can just see the
side of your car in the side of the mirror
closest to the car.
NOTICE: A void hanging objects on the
right-hand coat
hook in such a way that you
block the driver's vision to theright rear.
CONVEX MIRROR -Your car may have
an optional convex outside rearview
6
mirror. A convex mirror has a curved
surface. This type
of mirror is designed to
give a much wider view to the rear,
especially
of the lane next to the car.
However,
cars and other objects seen in
such a mirror will
LOOK smaller and
farther away than when seen in a flat
mirror. Therefore,
use care when judging
the
size or distance of a car or object seen
in this convex mirror. You can determine
the
size and distance of objects seen by
using your inside rearview mirror. Adjust
the convex mirror
so you can barely see
the side of your car in the portion of the
mirror closest
to the car. .
REMOTE 0 UTISDE MIRRORS~The
control·lever for this optional left side view
mirror is located on the door. It is on the
instrument panel .for the right
side view
mirror. To adjust the position of the
mirror, simply
move the lever in the
direction desired.
SUN VISOR ADJUSTMENT
The force needed to move the visor up and
down may be adjusted by tightening or
100 sening the .. screw shown in the
illustration. The
visors may be swung
toward the door windows to prevent glare
from the sides.
HEAD RESTRAINTS (For Bench Seats)
• Head restraints are designed to help
reduce "whiplash" injuries.
• To raise or lower, just slide the head
restraint up or down.
• Choose the position which places the
top of the head restraint closest to the
top of your ears.
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SEAT BELTS
To help lessen the chance of injury and/or
the amount of injury in accidents or
sudden stops, General Motors urges that
people riding in the car be properly
restrained at all times,
using the seat belts
provided. This includes pregnant women
and children
of all ages. See following
pages for use of restraints by children and
pregnant women.
.FRONT SEAT LAP-SHOULDER BELT
• Close the front door fully.
• Adjust the front seat as needed and sit
up straight and well back in the seat.
There are a number
of ways the
lap-shoulder belt may be put on easily. For
example:
• The lap-shoulderbelt may be put on
using one hand by: (1) Holding the latch
plate
and pulling the belt as far as it will
reach across your waist (see illustration).
(2) Then, hold the latch plate at a right
angle to the webbing. At the
same time,
slide it
uP .the belt by raising it toward
the upper outside corner
of the
windshield. (3) Finally, pull the belt
downacross the body and push the latch
plate into the buckle until it clicks.
• One easy two-handed method is to hold
the webbing just behind the latch plate
using the nearest hand. Then bring it
down across your body.
While holding
the webbing taut with one hand,
slide
the latch plate up the belt with the other
hand. Finally, hold the latch plate and
push
it into the buckle until it clicks.
• Position "lap" portion of belt across lap
as LOW ON THE HIPS as possible; Then
adjust to a
SNUG FIT by holding the
"shoulder" portion of belt and pulling it
UPWARD through the latch plate, until
the lap portion
is snug across the lap.
This reduces the risk
of sliding under the
belt during an accident.
CAUTION: A snug fit with the lap belt
positioned low on the hips is necessary
to help lessen the chance of inj ury
and/or the amount of injury in an
accident. This spreads the force of the
lap belt over the strong hip bone instead
of across the soft abdomen. To help
lessen the chance
of injury and/or the
amount of injury in
an accident: never
use the same belt for more than one
person
at a time; do not wear twisted
belts; and
d() not damage belts or belt
hardware
by pinching them in the seat
or door.
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• The shoulder portion of the front seat
· belt restraint has a "whic1e sensitive
retractor" which is designed to lock
ONLY during a sudden stop or impact.
At other times it
is designed to move
freely with the person.
• For those who want it,a tension reliever
is built into the retractor
to help reduce
discomfort.
To use the tension reliever
feature: (1) Start
by pulling the belt
outward a
few inches and letting it go so
it returns to the chest (Step "A" in the
figure) or lean FAR forward and then
back. (2) Then adjust the belt tension by
pulling down slightly on the shoulder
8
portion of the belt and letting go (Step
"B"
in the figure), or lean forward
SLIGHTLY and then back. It is very
important .that the
LEAST amount of
slack needed to relieve tension be chosen
when
using the tension reliever ~ not
more than 30 millimetres (about one
inch).
• To release the tension reliever and get
rid of slack, pull the shoulder belt out
and let it retract. Or lean far forward
and then back.
CAUTION: Too much slack could
increase the amount
of injury because
the belt would not be able to properly
restrain you in an accident. Do
NOT
wear the shoulder portion of the belt
under the arm
or out of position. Such
use could increase the chance of injury
and/or the amount
of injury in an
accident.
• To unfasten the belt, push in the button
in the center of the buckle.
• When no longer in use, front seat belts
can be stowed by letting them rewind
into their retractors. The tension reliever
is designed to release by itself when the
front door
is opened, or when the belt is
pulled out about 150 rnillimetres (six
inches). This lets belt
slack be taken up
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