User manual OLDSMOBILE ALERO 2002

2002 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manual Litho in U.S.A. Part Number 22673544 A First Edition ECopyright General Motors Corporation 06/25/01 All Rights Reserved i We support voluntary technician certification. GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem and the name ALERO are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. 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. For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez votre concessionaire ou au: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 ii 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. 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." 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. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also in this book you will find these notices: Vehicle Symbols Your vehicle may be equipped with 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 in the Index: NOTICE: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. 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. 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. D D D D "Engine Compartment Overview" "Instrument Panel" "Comfort Controls" "Audio Systems" Also see "Warning Lights and Gages" in the Index. iv These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle: v Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll find information about the seats in your vehicle 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. 1-2 1-8 1-12 1-13 1-14 1-21 1-22 1-22 1-28 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 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Rear Seat Passengers 1-31 1-34 1-35 1-39 1-53 1-56 1-56 1-56 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Center Passenger Position Children Restraint Systems for Children Older Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash 1- 1-1 Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them -- and also about reclining seatbacks and head restraints. Manual Seats 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. Lift the 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 be sure the seat is locked in place. 1-2 Power Lift Seat (If Equipped) If your vehicle has this feature, to move the power lift seat forward or rearward, pull up on the lever located under the front of the driver's seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the lever. Try to move the seat with your body to make sure the seat is locked into place. To raise or lower the power lift seat, hold the switch located on the outboard side of the driver's seat up or down. 1-3 Six-Way Power Seat Controls (If Equipped) If your vehicle has this feature, the power seat control is located on the outboard side of the driver's seat. Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped) If your vehicle has this feature, turn the knob located on the inboard side of the driver's seat cushion clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust support of the lower back. Reclining Front Seatbacks This control allows you to move the seat up, down, forward, or backward. It will also move the front or rear of the seat cushion up or down. D Move the seat forward or rearward by pushing the control toward the front or rear of the vehicle. the control up or down. D Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by holding D Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by holding the front of the control up or down. holding the rear of the control up or down. To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to where you want it. 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. D Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by 1-4 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 because it won't be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. 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. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-5 Head Restraints Seatback Latches (Two-Door Models) The front seatbacks fold forward to let people get into the back seat. The seatback latch is designed for one-handed operation. To fold a front seatback forward, lift the seatback latch fully without pushing forward on the seatback to unlock it. Then the seatback will fold forward. Push the seatback to its original position, and the seatback will lock. CAUTION: If the seatback isn't locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is locked. Slide the head restraint up or down 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. 1-6 Easy Entry Seat (Two-Door Models) The right front seat of your vehicle makes it easy for people to get in and out of the rear seat. 1. Fold the right front seatback forward by lifting the seatback latch fully. 2. The seat will slide forward to allow someone to get into the rear seat area. 3. Push the seatback upright to lock it and slide the seat fully rearward to lock it. 4. Adjust the seat to the desired position. 5. The front passenger should try to move the seat to make sure the seat is locked into place. Rear Seats Folding the Rear Seatback (Option) To fold down the rear seatback, do the following: 1. Pull the release straps located in the trunk. The right strap operates the passenger's side rear split seat. The left strap operates the driver's side rear split seat. CAUTION: If an easy entry right front seat isn't locked, it can move. In a sudden stop or crash, the person sitting there could be injured. After you've used it, be sure to push rearward on an easy entry seat to be sure it is locked. 2. Fold the seatback down from the inside of the vehicle. To raise the seatback, push the seatback up to return it to its original position. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is latched securely in the fully upright position. 1-7 Safety Belts: They're 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. And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), or air bag system. 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. 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. Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. See "Safety Belt Reminder Light" in the Index. 1-8 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 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 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 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. If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to wear safety belts? 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: A: 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. 1-12 Q: A: If I'm a good driver, and I never drive far from home, why should I wear safety belts? 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 Adults 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 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. 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 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