Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1997 User manual

The 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 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 sectiontells 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 tipsabout the road and how todrive 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 overheatedengine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep yourOldsmobile running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you whento perform vehicle maintenance and whatfluids 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 want to read.
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem
and the name CUTLASS SUPREME are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest informationat the time it
was printed. We reserve theright to make changes in the
product afterthat time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors of Canada Limited” for Oldsmobile
Division whenever it appearsin this manual.
Please keep this manual in your Oldsmobile,
so it will
be thereif youever need
it when you’re on the road. If
you sell the vehicle, please leavethis manual in it
so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in
U.S.A.
Part No. 22659810 B First Edition
hL.4
CERTIFIED
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We supportvoluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriCtaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplairede ce guide enfraqaischez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 BonhillRd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5T 1C7
@CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation
1996
All RightsReserved

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.
lex
H good place to look for what you need is the Index in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of all
that’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
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.
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.
I
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

t
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also in this book you will find these notices:
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.
I i But the notice willtell you what to do to help avoid -
NOTICE:
the damage.
When
you read other manuals,you might see CAUTION
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
and NOTICE warnings in different colorsor in
different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words,
CAUTION or NOTICE.
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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
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
These symbols
have
to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
' COOLANT
TEMP -
CHARGING 17
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (@)
R
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER n
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
V

vi

Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Oldsmobile 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.
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Seats and Seat Controls
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
Here
Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Driver Position
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
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Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Rear Seat Passengers
Children
Child Restraints
Larger Children
Safety Belt Extender
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
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Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you how to adjust the seats and
explains reclining seatbacks, folding rear seats 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.
Lift the bar under the front of the seat to unlockit. Slide
the seat to where you want it and release the bar.
Try to
move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is
locked into place.
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FRONT (A): Raise the front of the seat by holding the
switch up. Hold the switch down to low
the seat.
CENTER (B): Move the seat forward
holding the control to the front or back. Raise or lower
the seat
by holding the control up or down.
REAR (C): Raise the rear of the seat by holding the
switch
up. Hold the switch down to lower the rear of
the seat.
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*:.?a?$!?p$7~7?F%3YF'ly~y! ,~~~~~~~~.I~,~C.~.,.--;:s :.? r'L- .t - 4: . ,
~.
. . . , . . .
Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the
s6zitback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock
the seatback into place. Pull up onthe lever without
pushing on
the seatback, and the seatback will
move forward.

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
A CAUTION:
Sittingin a reclined position when your vehicleis
in motioncan be dangerous. Even
if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’tdotheir job when
you’re reclined like this.
Theshoulder belt can’t do
its job. In a crashyou
could gointo it, receiving neckorother injuries.
The lap belt can’t
do its job either. In a crash the
belt couldgo up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there,not
at your pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle
is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sit well
back
in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
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Reclining Front Seatbacks (4-Door Models)
Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the
seatback
to where you want it. Release the lever to lock
the seatback into place. Pull up on the lever without
pushing on the seatback, and the seatback will
move forward.
But don’thavea seatback reclined if
your vehicle is moving.
L, CAUTION: I
I
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicleis
in motion can be dangerous.
Even if you buckle
CAUTION: (Continued)
L
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up, your safety belts can’tdo their jobwhen
you’re reclined like this.
Theshoulder belt can’tdo
its job because it
won’t beagainstyour body. Instead, it will be in
front
of you. In a crashyou could gointo it,
receiving neckorother injuries.
Thelapbelt can’tdo
its job either. In a crash the
belt couldgo up over your abdomen. The belt
forceswould bethere, not atyour pelvic bones.
Thiscould causeseriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protectionwhen the vehicle
is in
motion, have the 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
restraint is closest to the top ofyour ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches (2-Door Models)
The front seat folds forward
to let people get intothe
back seat. Your seatback
will move back and forth
freely, unless youcome to a
sudden stop. Then it will
lock into place.
If your vehicle is parked facing down a fairly steep hill,
the seatback may not fold without some help from you.
To fold the locked seatback forward, push the seatback
toward the rear and lift this latch. Then the seatback will
fold forward. The latch must
be down for the seat to
work properly.
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Split Folding Rear Seat (Option)
SafetyBelts:They're for Everyone I
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also t@ls you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
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And it explains the SupplementalRestraintSystem(SRS), J' I'
'or air bag system.
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I
CAUTION:
Pull forward on the seat tab to €old the seat down. To
return the seat to its ofighal position, push it back up
and make swe it latches.

It is extremely dangerousto ride ina cargoarea,
inside or outsideof
a vehicle. Ina collision,
people riding in these areas aremore likelyto be
seriously injuredorkilled.
Do not allow peopleto
ride in any areaof your vehiclethat
is not
equipped withseatsand safety belts.Be sure
everyone in your vehicle
is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as
a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” 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 havea
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes aremild, and some crashes can be
so
seriousthat even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes
are in between.In many of them,
people who buckle
up can surviveand sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts areclear.
In most crashesbuckling up does
matter
... a lot!
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Why Safety BeltsWork
When you ride in or on mythng, you go as fast as it goes.
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..
".
I
Put someone on it.
Take
the simplest vehicle, Suppose it's just a seat on wheels.
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I
Get it up to speed.Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop. The person keeps going until stopped
by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
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or the instrument panel ...
or thesafety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time
to stop. You stop overmore distance,
and your strongestbones take the forces. That’s why
safety beltsmake such good sense.
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Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
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 ornot. 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.
Q.’ If my vehicle hasair bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are inmany 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 ina 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 sideand other collisions.
@ If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why shouldI wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellentdriver, 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 accidentsoccur 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.
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How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be awarethat there
are special things to know about safety
belts and children. And there
are different rulesfor smaller
children and babies.
If a child willbe riding in your
Oldsmobile,
see the partof 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 start with the driver position.
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 thedoor.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The 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.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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