Oldsrnobile 1997 Cutlass User manual

The 1997 Oldsrnobile Cutlass 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 section tells youhow to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’llfiidhelpful information and tips about the road and how to drive 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 overheated engine,etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tellsyouhow to keep your Oldsmobile running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
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 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 useit to quickly find
something you want to read.
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem
and the name CUTLASS are registered trademarksof
General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information atthe time
itwas printed.We reserve the rightto make changes in
the product after that time without further notice.
Please keep this manual
in your Oldsmobile, so itwill
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. 22652546 A First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
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
dothis, it will help you learn about the features and
controlsfor your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
@Copyright General Motors Corporation 1996
All Rights Reserved
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Index
A good placeto look for what you need istheIndex in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of all
what’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautionsin this book.
We use a box andthe word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt youif you were to ignore
the warning.
I
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you whatthehazard is. Then
we tell you what todo to help avoid or reducethe
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, youor
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.”
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Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also in this book you will fimd these notices:
NOTICE:
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, andit could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
These mean thereis something that could
damage
your vehicle.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
You’ll alsoseewarning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTIONor NOTICE.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
areused
on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYESBY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BAllERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATIERY
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
FOGLAMPS
# 0
Thesesymbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
(
Thesesymbols
are usedon
warning
and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER
HORN
)cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B
V

b NOTES
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Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
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Here you’ll findinformationaboutthe 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.
Seats and Controls
1-47ReplacingPartsAfteraCrash
ShoulderBelt Height Adjuster 1-47Checking Your RestraintSystems
How to WearSafetyBelts Properly 1-47HowtoObtainaSafetyBeltExtender
Safety Belts 1-37ChildRestraint
Top Straps
Questions Many People Ask About Childrenin Child Restraints
Why Safety Belts Work 1-36 ImportantInformation for Buckling
Rear Seats 1-34HowtoUseChildRestraints
Reclining Front Seatbacks 1-30 SafetyBelt ComfortGuides
Power Seats 1-23QuestionsandAnswersAbout
Air Baps
Manual Seats 1-20 SafetyBeltUseDuringPregnancy

Move the lever under the front seat to unlock it. Slide
the seat to where you want
it. Then release the lever and
try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the
seat islocked into place.

6-Way Power Seat (If Equipped)
The powersetbutton is located on the lower, leftside of
the driver’s seat. This button allows you to move the
seat up, down, forward and backward. It also moves the
frontof the seat up or down and the rear
of the seat up
or down.
Move the seat higher by lifting and holdingthe bottom
of the button. Lower the seat by pushing and holding the
top of the button.
To move the seat forward, pushthe rear of the button
forward.
To move the seat backward, pushthe front of
the button rearward.
Raise thefront of the seatby lifting and holding the
bottom frontend
of the button.Lower the front of the
seat by pushing and holding the bottomof the front end
of the seat.
Raise the rearof the seat by lifting and holding the
bottom rearof the button. Lowerthe rear of the seat by
pushing and holdingthe top rear
of thebutton.
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Forproper protection when the vehicle isin
motion, have the seatback upright. Then
sitwell back in the seatand wear your safety
belt properly.
Sittingin a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even
if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t dotheirjob when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do itsjob becauseit
won’t beagainst yourbody. Instead, it will be
in
front of you. In a crashyou could gointo it,
receiving neckor otherinjuries.
The lapbelt can’t do itsjob either.
In a crash the
belt could goup over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
CAUTION: (Continued)
Head Restraints
Slidethe head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest
to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury ina crash.
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Rear Seats
Folding Rear Seat
To open thefolding rearseat, open the trunk and pull
one or bothof the tethers located on theleft side of the
trunk. The leaf-hand tether will open the larger side of
the seatback. Theright-hand tether will openthe smaller
side
of the seatback. Once a tether is pulled, the seatback
can be pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open
from inside the vehicle.
To close the folding rear seat from inside the car, push
the seatback up until you hear a click. Then pull on the
seatback to make sure itis secure.

Safety Belts: They’refor Everyone
This part of the manualtells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with
safety belts.
And it explainsthe Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
A CAUTION:
Don’t let anyoneride where heor she can’t wear
a safety belt properly.
If you arein a crashand
you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.You canhit things inside the
vehicle
or be ejected from it.You can be seriously
injuredor killed. In the same crash,you might
not be
if you arebuckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt,and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properly too.
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A CAUTIO
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargoarea,
insideor outsideof a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in theseareasaremore likely to be
seriouslyinjured or killed. Do not allow people to
ridein anyarea of your vehiclethat is not
equipped with seatsand safety belts.Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seatandusing 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 saysto
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 areinbetween.
In many ofthem,
people who buckle up can survive and 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 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’sjust a seat
on wheels.

Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.Therider
doesn’t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
or the instrument panel ...
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Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
A: You may be an excellent driver, butif 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 numberof serious injuries
and deaths occurat speedsof less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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, see the part of
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’show to wearit
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
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