Section |
Page |
2001 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manual |
1 |
|
24 |
Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts and the Answers |
24 |
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly |
25 |
Adults |
25 |
Driver Position |
25 |
Lap-Shoulder Belt |
25 |
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster (4- Door Models) |
27 |
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy |
32 |
Right Front Passenger Position |
33 |
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) |
33 |
How the Air Bag System Works |
35 |
Where are the air bags? |
35 |
When should an air bag inflate? |
37 |
What makes an air bag inflate? |
37 |
How does an air bag restrain? |
37 |
What will you see after an air bag inflates? |
38 |
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle |
39 |
Rear Seat Passengers |
40 |
Rear Seat Outside Passenger Positions |
40 |
Lap-Shoulder Belt |
40 |
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults |
43 |
Center Passenger Position |
45 |
Lap Belt |
46 |
Children |
47 |
Infants and Young Children |
47 |
Restraint Systems for Children |
51 |
Where to Put the Restraint |
54 |
Top Strap |
55 |
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) |
56 |
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System |
59 |
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside Seat Position |
59 |
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Rear Seat Position |
62 |
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position |
64 |
Older Children |
66 |
Safety Belt Extender |
69 |
Checking Your Restraint Systems |
70 |
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash |
70 |
Section 2 Features and Controls |
71 |
Windows |
72 |
Manual Windows |
73 |
Power Windows (If Equipped) |
73 |
Auto- Down Switch |
73 |
Lock- Out Switch (4- Door Models) |
73 |
Keys |
74 |
Door Locks |
76 |
Power Door Locks |
77 |
Programmable Automatic Door Locks |
77 |
Customizing the Automatic Door Locks |
78 |
Delayed Locking |
79 |
Rear Door Security Locks (4-Door Models) |
80 |
Anti-Lockout Protection |
81 |
Leaving Your Vehicle |
81 |
Remote Keyless Entry System (If Equipped) |
81 |
Operation |
82 |
Programmable Horn Chirp |
83 |
Radio Personalization |
83 |
Matching Transmitter(s) to Your Vehicle |
84 |
Battery Replacement |
84 |
Resynchronization |
85 |
Trunk |
86 |
Remote Trunk Release |
87 |
Remote Trunk Release Lockout (If Equipped) |
87 |
Trunk Release Handle (If Equipped) |
88 |
Trap-Resistant Trunk Kit |
88 |
Theft |
89 |
Key in the Ignition |
89 |
Parking at Night |
89 |
Parking Lots |
89 |
Passlock |
90 |
New Vehicle Break-In |
90 |
Ignition Positions |
91 |
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) |
92 |
Starting Your Engine |
92 |
Automatic Transaxle |
92 |
Manual Transaxle |
93 |
Engine Coolant Heater (Option) |
94 |
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater |
95 |
Automatic Transaxle Operation |
96 |
Manual Transaxle Operation |
99 |
Shift Speeds |
101 |
Up-Shift Light (Manual Transaxle) (If Equipped) |
101 |
Parking Brake |
101 |
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic Transaxle Only) |
102 |
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running (Automatic Transaxle Only) |
103 |
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle) |
104 |
Shifting Out of PARK (P) (Automatic Transaxle Only) |
104 |
Parking Your Vehicle/Key Removal (Manual Transaxle Models Only) |
104 |
Parking Over Things That Burn |
105 |
Engine Exhaust |
105 |
Running Your Engine While You re Parked (Automatic Transaxle) |
106 |
Horn |
106 |
Tilt Wheel |
107 |
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever |
107 |
Turn and Lane Change Signals |
108 |
Turn Signal On Chime |
108 |
Headlamps |
109 |
Lamps On Reminder |
109 |
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer |
109 |
Flash-to-Pass |
110 |
Windshield Wipers |
110 |
Windshield Washer |
111 |
Cruise Control |
111 |
Setting Cruise Control |
112 |
Resuming a Set Speed |
113 |
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control |
113 |
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control |
114 |
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control |
114 |
Using Cruise Control on Hills |
114 |
Ending Out of Cruise Control |
114 |
Erasing the Cruise Speed Memory |
114 |
Exterior Lamps |
115 |
Headlamps |
115 |
Daytime Running Lamps |
115 |
Automatic Light Control (ALC) |
115 |
Headlamps Dim to Park (If Equipped) |
116 |
Delayed Headlamps |
116 |
Fog Lamps (If Equipped) |
116 |
Interior Lamps |
117 |
Instrument Panel Intensity Control |
117 |
Courtesy Lamp Control |
117 |
Illuminated Entry/Exit System |
117 |
Mirror Reading Lamps (If Equipped) |
118 |
Three-Position Dome Lamp |
118 |
Trunk Lamp |
118 |
Battery Saver |
118 |
Mirrors |
119 |
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror |
119 |
Manual Remote Control Mirror |
119 |
Power Remote Control Mirrors (If Equipped) |
119 |
Convex Outside Mirror |
120 |
Storage Compartments |
120 |
Glove Box |
120 |
Center Console Storage Area |
120 |
Rear Seat Cupholders |
120 |
Convenience Net (If Equipped) |
120 |
Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped) |
121 |
Sun Visors |
121 |
Visor Vanity Mirror |
121 |
Accessory Power Outlet |
122 |
Sunroof (Option) |
123 |
The Instrument Panel Your Information System |
124 |
Instrument Panel Cluster |
126 |
Speedometer and Odometer |
127 |
Trip Odometer |
127 |
Tachometer |
127 |
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators |
128 |
Safety Belt Reminder Light |
128 |
Air Bag Readiness Light |
129 |
Charging System Indicator Light |
130 |
Up-Shift Light (Manual Transaxle) (If Equipped) |
130 |
Brake System Warning Light |
130 |
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light |
132 |
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light |
132 |
Enhanced Traction System Active Light |
133 |
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage |
134 |
Low Coolant Warning Light |
134 |
Low Tire Pressure Light (If Equipped) |
135 |
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light in the United States or Check Engine Light in Canada) |
136 |
If the Light Is Flashing |
137 |
If the Light Is On Steady |
137 |
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs |
138 |
Oil Pressure Light |
139 |
Low Oil Light (If Equipped) |
140 |
Change Oil Light |
140 |
Security Light |
141 |
Cruise Light |
141 |
Low Washer Light |
141 |
Service Vehicle Soon Light |
142 |
Fuel Gage |
142 |
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems |
143 |
Comfort Controls |
144 |
Climate Control System with Air Conditioning |
144 |
Fan Knob |
144 |
Temperature Knob |
144 |
Mode Knob |
144 |
Mode Buttons |
145 |
Air Conditioning |
145 |
Heating |
146 |
Defogging and Defrosting Windows |
146 |
Rear Window Defogger |
147 |
Ventilation System |
147 |
Ventilation Tips |
148 |
Audio Systems |
149 |
Setting the Clock |
149 |
AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player with Programmable Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS) |
149 |
Playing the Radio |
149 |
Finding a Station |
150 |
Setting the Tone |
151 |
Using RDS Mode |
152 |
Adjusting the Speakers |
154 |
Playing a Compact Disc |
154 |
AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and Compact Disc Player with Programmable Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS) (If Equipped) |
156 |
Playing the Radio |
156 |
Finding a Station |
156 |
Setting the Tone |
157 |
Using RDS Mode |
158 |
Adjusting the Speakers |
160 |
Playing a Cassette Tape |
160 |
Playing a Compact Disc |
162 |
Personal Choice Radio Controls (If Equipped) |
164 |
Theft-Deterrent Feature RDS Radios |
164 |
Understanding Radio Reception |
164 |
AM |
164 |
FM Stereo |
164 |
Tips About Your Audio System |
164 |
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player |
165 |
Care of Your Compact Discs |
166 |
Care of Your Compact Disc Player |
166 |
Backglass Antenna |
166 |
Chime Level Adjustment |
167 |
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road |
168 |
Defensive Driving |
169 |
Drunken Driving |
170 |
Control of a Vehicle |
173 |
Braking |
173 |
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) |
174 |
Using Anti- Lock |
176 |
Braking in Emergencies |
176 |
Enhanced Traction System |
176 |
Steering |
178 |
Power Steering |
178 |
Variable Effort Steering (If Equipped) |
178 |
Steering Tips |
178 |
Driving on Curves |
178 |
Steering in Emergencies |
179 |
Off-Road Recovery |
180 |
Passing |
180 |
Loss of Control |
182 |
Skidding |
182 |
Driving at Night |
183 |
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads |
184 |
Hydroplaning |
186 |
Driving Through Deep Standing Water |
186 |
Driving Through Flowing Water |
187 |
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips |
187 |
City Driving |
188 |
Freeway Driving |
189 |
Before Leaving on a Long Trip |
190 |
Highway Hypnosis |
191 |
Hill and Mountain Roads |
191 |
Winter Driving |
193 |
Driving on Snow or Ice |
194 |
If You re Caught in a Blizzard |
195 |
Recreational Vehicle Towing |
197 |
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front |
197 |
Towing Your Vehicle from the Rear |
199 |
Loading Your Vehicle |
199 |
Towing a Trailer |
201 |
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer |
202 |
Weight of the Trailer |
203 |
Weight of the Trailer Tongue |
203 |
Total Weight on Your Vehicle s Tires |
204 |
Hitches |
204 |
Safety Chains |
205 |
Trailer Brakes |
205 |
Driving with a Trailer |
205 |
Following Distance |
206 |
Passing |
206 |
Backing Up |
206 |
Making Turns |
206 |
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer |
207 |
Driving On Grades |
207 |
Parking on Hills |
208 |
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill |
208 |
Maintenance When Trailer Towing |
209 |
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing |
209 |
Towing a Trailer (2.4L L4 Engine) |
209 |
Section 5 Problems on the Road |
210 |
Hazard Warning Flashers |
211 |
Other Warning Devices |
211 |
Jump Starting |
212 |
Towing Your Vehicle |
217 |
Engine Overheating |
217 |
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine |
218 |
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine |
219 |
Cooling System |
220 |
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Surge Tank |
222 |
If a Tire Goes Flat |
227 |
Changing a Flat Tire |
227 |
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools |
228 |
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire |
230 |
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools |
235 |
Storing the Spare Tire and Tools |
236 |
Compact Spare Tire |
237 |
If You re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow |
238 |
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out |
238 |
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care |
239 |
Service |
240 |
Doing Your Own Service Work |
240 |
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your Vehicle |
241 |
Fuel |
241 |
Fuels in Foreign Countries |
243 |
Filling Your Tank |
244 |
Filling a Portable Fuel Container |
246 |
Checking Things Under the Hood |
246 |
Hood Release |
247 |
Engine Compartment Overview |
249 |
Engine Oil |
251 |
Checking Engine Oil |
251 |
When to Add Engine Oil |
253 |
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use |
255 |
Engine Oil Additives |
256 |
When to Change Engine Oil |
256 |
How to Reset the Change Oil Light |
257 |
What to Do with Used Oil |
257 |
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter |
257 |
Automatic Transaxle Fluid |
258 |
Manual Transaxle Fluid |
259 |
Hydraulic Clutch |
259 |
When to Check and What to Use |
259 |
How to Check and Add Fluid |
260 |
Engine Coolant |
260 |
What to Use |
261 |
Checking Coolant |
262 |
Adding Coolant |
263 |
Power Steering Fluid |
263 |
When to Check Power Steering Fluid |
263 |
How to Check Power Steering Fluid |
264 |
What to Use |
264 |
Windshield Washer Fluid |
264 |
What to Use |
264 |
Adding Washer Fluid |
264 |
Brakes |
265 |
Brake Fluid |
265 |
What to Add |
267 |
Brake Wear |
268 |
Brake Pedal Travel |
268 |
Brake Adjustment |
268 |
Replacing Brake System Parts |
269 |
Battery |
269 |
Vehicle Storage |
270 |
Bulb Replacement |
270 |
Halogen Bulbs |
270 |
Headlamps |
270 |
Headlamp Aiming |
271 |
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamp Bulb Replacement |
273 |
Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp |
273 |
Rear Turn Signal and Stop/Taillamp Bulb Replacement |
274 |
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement |
274 |
Tires |
275 |
Inflation -- Tire Pressure |
276 |
When to Check |
276 |
How to Check |
276 |
Tire Pressure Monitor System (If Equipped) |
277 |
Tire Inspection and Rotation |
278 |
When It s Time for New Tires |
280 |
Buying New Tires |
280 |
Uniform Tire Quality Grading |
281 |
Treadwear |
282 |
Traction AA, A, B, C |
282 |
Temperature A, B, C |
282 |
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance |
283 |
Wheel Replacement |
283 |
Used Replacement Wheels |
284 |
Tire Chains |
284 |
Appearance Care |
285 |
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle |
285 |
Cleaning of Fabric/Carpet |
285 |
Using Multi-Purpose Interior Cleaner on Fabric |
286 |
Special Fabric Cleaning Problems |
286 |
Cleaning Vinyl |
287 |
Cleaning Leather |
287 |
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel |
287 |
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components |
287 |
Care of Safety Belts |
288 |
Cleaning Glass Surfaces |
288 |
Cleaning the Outside of the Windshield and Wiper Blades |
288 |
Weatherstrips |
288 |
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle |
289 |
Washing Your Vehicle |
289 |
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses |
289 |
Finish Care |
289 |
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels (If Equipped) |
290 |
Cleaning Tires |
290 |
Sheet Metal Damage |
290 |
Finish Damage |
291 |
Underbody Maintenance |
291 |
Chemical Paint Spotting |
291 |
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials |
292 |
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) |
293 |
Engine Identification |
293 |
Service Parts Identification Label |
293 |
Electrical System |
294 |
Add-On Electrical Equipment |
294 |
Windshield Wipers |
294 |
Power Windows |
294 |
Fuses and Circuit Breakers |
294 |
Instrument Panel Fuse Blocks |
294 |
Instrument Panel Fuse Block Driver s Side |
295 |
Instrument Panel Fuse Block Passenger s Side |
296 |
Engine Compartment Fuse Block |
297 |
Replacement Bulbs |
299 |
Capacities and Specifications |
300 |
Capacities |
300 |
Engine Specifications |
300 |
Wheel Nut Torque |
300 |
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts |
301 |
Vehicle Dimensions |
301 |
Section 7 Maintenance Schedule |
302 |
Introduction |
303 |
Your Vehicle and the Environment |
303 |
Maintenance Requirements |
303 |
How This Section is Organized |
304 |
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services |
305 |
Using Your Maintenance Schedule |
305 |
Scheduled Maintenance |
306 |
Footnotes |
306 |
Scheduled Maintenance |
307 |
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance |
307 |
Scheduled Maintenance |
308 |
Part B: Owner Checks and Services |
316 |
At Each Fuel Fill |
316 |
Engine Oil Level Check |
316 |
Engine Coolant Level Check |
316 |
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check |
316 |
At Least Once a Month |
316 |
Tire Inflation Check |
316 |
Cassette Deck Service |
316 |
At Least Twice a Year |
317 |
Restraint System Check |
317 |
Wiper Blade Check |
317 |
Weatherstrip Lubrication |
317 |
Manual Transaxle Check |
317 |
Automatic Transaxle Inspection |
317 |
Hydraulic Clutch System Check |
318 |
At Least Once a Year |
318 |
Key Lock Cylinders Service |
318 |
Body Lubrication Service |
318 |
Starter Switch Check |
318 |
Automatic Transaxle Shift Lock Control System Check |
319 |
Ignition Transaxle Lock Check |
319 |
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle PARK (P) Mechanism Check |
320 |
Underbody Flushing Service |
320 |
Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections |
321 |
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle Boot and Seal Inspection |
321 |
Exhaust System Inspection |
321 |
Engine Cooling System Inspection |
321 |
Throttle System Inspection |
322 |
Brake System Inspection |
322 |
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants |
323 |
Part E: Maintenance Record |
325 |
Section 8 Customer Assistance Information |
328 |
Customer Satisfaction Procedure |
329 |
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone (TTY) Users |
331 |
Customer Assistance Offices |
331 |
United States |
331 |
Canada |
332 |
Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Islands/ Countries (Except Puerto Rico and U. S. Virgin Islands) |
332 |
GM Mobility Program for Persons with Disabilities |
332 |
Oldsmobile Roadside Assistance Program Features and Benefits |
333 |
Security While You Travel |
333 |
Canadian Roadside Assistance |
334 |
Courtesy Transportation |
334 |
Plan Ahead When Possible |
335 |
Transportation Options |
335 |
Shuttle Service |
335 |
Public Transportation or Fuel Reimbursement |
335 |
Courtesy Rental Vehicle |
335 |
Additional Program Information |
336 |
Warranty Information |
336 |
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT |
337 |
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT |
337 |