2003 Oldsmobile Bravada Owners Manual

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Canadian Owners You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 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. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem and the name BRAVADA 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.

Litho in U.S.A. Part No. S2338A First Edition

@Copyright General Motors Corporation 07/15/02 All Rights Reserved

Safety Warnings and Symbols

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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.

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.”

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 l l

Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice will 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.

Vehicle Symbols Your vehicle has 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:

Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 Features and Controls in Section 2 Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 Climate Controls in Section 3 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3 Audio System(s) in Section 3 Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5

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These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:

LATCH BOTH LAP AND SHOULDER BELTS TO PROTECT OCCUPANT

DO NOT TWIST SAFETY BELT WHEN AlTACHlNG

48: @

CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY

PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING

CAUSTIC BAlTERY 4ClD COULD CAUSE BURNS

AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES

SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BAlTERY

MOVE SEAT FULLY REARWARD* SECURE CHILD SEAT

PULL BELT

COMPLETELY THEN SECURE CHILD SEAT

'\I/'

\$!! /z

DO NOT INSTALL A REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING POSITION

DO NOT INSTALL A FORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING POSITION

DOOR LOCK UNLOCK

MASTER SWITCH

LIGHTING -

ENGINE COOLANT TEMP

8- / , \ @a LAMPS PC

TURN SIGNALS

l.fJ

ACCESS

ENGINE COOLANT FAN

SYSTEM

BAlTERY

CHARGING fl BRAKE (@) COOLANT d

OWNERS MANUAL

ENGINE OIL PRESSURE W

SERVICE

ANTI-LOCK (@)

BRAKES

DAYTIME . -n RUNNING ''Z; #O

LAMPS

LAMPS

MANUAL

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats ...................................................... 1-2 Power Seats .............................................. 1.2 Power Lumbar ........................................... 1-2 Heated Seats ................................................. 1-3 Power Reclining Seatbacks .............................. 1-4 Head Restraints ............................................. 1-5 Rear Seats ....................................................... 1-6 Rear Seat Operation ....................................... 1-6 Safety Belts ..................................................... 1-8 ................. 1-8 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ...... 1-12 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly ................. 1-13 Driver Position .............................................. 1-1 3 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ............... 1-20 Right Front Passenger Position .................... 1-21 .................................. 1-21 Rear Seat Passengers Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides .......................... 1-24 ..................................... 1-26 Child Restraints ............................................. 1-27 Older Children .............................................. 1-27 Infants and Young Children ............................ 1-29 Child Restraint Systems ................................. 1-32

Children and Small Adults

Safety Belt Extender

for

Where to Put the Restraint ............................. 1.35 Top Strap .................................................... 1-36 Top Strap Anchor Location ............................. 1-37 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for

Children (LATCH System) ....................... 1-38

Securing a Child Restraint Designed

for the LATCH System ............................... 1-40

Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear

Outside Seat Position ................................ 1-40

Securing a Child Restraint in the Right

Air Bag Inflate? ...

Front Seat Position .................................... 1-42 Center Seat Position ..................................... 1-45 Air Bag Systems ............................................ 1-46 Where Are the Air Bags? ............................ 1-49 When Should an ...... 1-51 What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? ..................... 1-52 How Does an Air Bag Restrain? ..................... 1-52 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? ... 1-53 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle ......... 1-55 Restraint System Check .................................. 1-56 Checking Your Restraint Systems ................... 1-56 Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash ............................................ 1-56

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Lift up or push down on the center of the seat control to move the entire seat up or down. To move the seat forward or rearward, slide the seat control forward or rearward. To recline the seatback, press the vertical control rearward. To raise the seatback, press the vertical control forward.

Power Lumbar Your vehicle may have this feature. The driver’s and passenger’s seatback lumbar support can be adjusted by moving a control located on the outboard side of the seat cushions. To increase or decrease support, hold the control forward or rearward. Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it may during long trips, so should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.

Front Seats

Power Seats

Your vehicle may have this feature. The power seat controls are located on the outboard side of the front seat cushions. The horizontal control adjusts the seat cushion and the vertical control adjusts the seatback.

Move the front of the seat control up or down to adjust the front portion of the cushion. Move the rear of the seat control up or down to adjust the rear portion of the cushion.

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Heated Seats

Your vehicle may have heated front seats. The buttons used to control this feature are located on the front door armrests. The engine must be running for the heated seat feature to work.

To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with the heated seat symbol. Press the button repeatedly to cycle through the temperature settings of high,

medium, low and off. The indicator lights will glow to designate the level of heat selected: three for high, two for medium and one for low. The low setting warms the seatback and cushion until the seat temperature is near body temperature. The medium and high settings heat the seatback and seat cushion to a slightly higher temperature. You will be able to feel heat in about two minutes. To heat only the seatback, press the button with the words “BACK ONLY”. An indicator light on the seatback switch will glow to designate that only the seatback is being heated. Additional presses will cycle through the heat levels for the seatback only. Press the horizontal button again to heat the whole seat. The feature will shut off automatically when the ignition is turned off.

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Power Reclining Seatbacks

The vertical power seat control described earlier allows the seatback to recline.

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.

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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. 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.

Head Restraints

Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position I reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

The head restraints lock into place when raised. To release the head restraint and lower it, press the tab located on the top of the seatback.

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Rear Seats

. .... ...

Pull up on the loop located where the seat cushion meets the seatback to fold the seat cushion up and out of the way. This will allow the seatback to fold flat and increase the cargo area.

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.

ly dangerous to rid n a cargo

It is ext 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.

Safety Belts

Safety Belts: They Are 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.

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.

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In most states and in all 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.

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Put someone on it.

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider doesn't stop.

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Questions and Answers About Safety Belts

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.

Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to

wear safety belts?

A: 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.

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.

home, why should I wear safety belts?

0: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from A: 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 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 Older Children on page 1-27 or lnfants and Young Children on page 7-29. 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.

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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.

4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.

Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the belt isn’t long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-26. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.

3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.

Don’t let it get twisted.

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the

shoulder belt.

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The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces. The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden stop or crash, or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.

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What’s wrong with this?

You can be ser.,sly hurt if yo^. shouLr belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body.

A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It won’t give nearly

as much protection this way.

1-16

Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.

You can be serisusiy injured if your belt is buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash, the belt would go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. Always buckle your belt into the buckle nearest you.

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~

3 if you wear ’

c i be sel US~, nju

shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your body would move too far forward, which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also, the belt would apply too much force to the ribs, which aren’t as strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal organs like your liver or spleen.

Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should

be worn over the shoulder at all times.

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Q: What’s wrong with this?

A: The belt is twisted across the body.

You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt. In a crash, you wouldn’t have the full width of the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is twisted, make it straight so it can work properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.

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Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be seriously injured if they don’t wear safety belts.

To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle. The belt should go back out of the way. Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle.

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A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should be worn as low as possible, below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.

Rear Seat Passenger Positions

The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it’s more likely that the fetus won’t be hurt in a crash. For pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making safety belts effective is wearing them properly. Right Front Passenger Position To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-13. The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same way as the driver’s safety belt - except for one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and start again. Rear Seat Passengers It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts. Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.

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Lap-Shoulder Belt All rear seating positions have lap-shoulder belts. Here’s how to wear one properly.

When the shoulder belt is pulled out all the way, it will lock. If it does, let it go back all the way and start again. If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-26. Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to.

1. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.

Don’t let it get twisted.

2. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.

Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.

3. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the

shoulder part.

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You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should fit against your body.

The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash this applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you'd be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt restraining forces.

1-23

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults Your vehicle may already have this feature. If not, you can get it from your GM dealer. Rear shoulder belt comfort guides provide added safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown booster seats and for small adults. When attached to a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the belt away from the neck and head. There is one guide available for each of the rear outside passenger positions. Here’s how to attach the comfort guide to the shoulder belt.

To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.

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1. Slide the guide off of its storage clip located between the interior body and the seatback.

2. Slide the guide under and past the belt. The elastic cord must be under the belt. Then, place the guide over the belt and insert the two edges of the belt into the slots of the guide.

3. Be sure that the belt is not twisted and it lies flat.

The elastic cord must be under the belt and the guide on top.

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Safety Belt Extender If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you should use it. But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your dealer will order you an extender. It’s free. When you go in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be long enough for you. The extender will be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it to the regular safety belt.

4. Buckle, position and release the safety belt as

described in Rear Seat Passengers on page 1-21. Make sure that the shoulder belt crosses the shoulder.

To remove and store the comfort guides, squeeze the belt edges together so that you can take them out of the guides. Slide the guide back on its storage clip located between the interior body and the seatback.

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Child Restraints

Older Children

Older children who have outgrown booster seats should wear the vehicle's safety belts.

Q: What is the proper way to wear safety belts? A: If possible, an older child should wear a

lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face or neck. The lap belt should fit snugly below the hips, just touching the top of the thighs. It should never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe even fatal internal injuries in a crash.

Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear seat. In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety belts properly.

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~

:es

1 a crash, the two chi1 en can be

crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time.

Q: What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt, but is so small that the shoulder belt is very close to the child’s face or neck?

A: If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window, move the child toward the center of the vehicle. If the child is sitting in the center rear seat passenger position, move the child toward the safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the child’s upper body would have the restraint that the belts provide. If the child is sitting in the rear seat outside position, see Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Small Adults on page 1-24.

S.

Here two children are wearing the same belt. The belt can’t properly spread the impact

(Continued) I

CAUTION:

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behind the child. If the child wears the belt in this way, in a crash the child might slide under the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause serious or fatal injuries.

Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. Infants and Young Children Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes infants and all other children. Neither the distance traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact, the law in every state in the United States and in every Canadian province says children up to some age must be restrained while in a vehicle. Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should have the protection provided by appropriate restraints. Young children should not use the vehicle’s adult safety belts alone, unless there is no other choice. Instead, they need to use a child restraint.

1-29

Never do this. Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is

CAUTION:

(Continued) I

it. r'or example, in a crash at only ~5 mph (40 km/h), a 12-lb. (5.5 kg) baby will suddenly become a 240-lb. (110 kg) force on a person's arms. A baby should be secured in an appropriate restraint.

People should never hold a baby in their arms while riding in a vehicle. A baby doesn't weigh much -- until a crash. During a crash a baby will become so heavy it is not possible to hold (Continued)

CAUTION:

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Children who are up against, or very close to, any air bag when it inflates can be seriously injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer outstanding protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag system is designed for them. Young children and infants need the protection that a child restraint system can provide.

For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle. if it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come with the restraint state the weight and height limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition, there are many kinds of restraints available for children with special needs.

Q: What are the different types of add-on child

restraints?

A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types. Selection of a particular restraint should take into consideration not only the child’s weight, height, and age but also whether or not the restraint will be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will be used.

Newborn infants need complete sum ort, including support for the head and neck. This is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck is weak and its head weighs so much compared with the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the restraint, so the crash forces can be distributed across the strongest part of an infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants always should be secured in appropriate infant restraints.

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1 Child Restraint Systems

The body structure of a young child is quite unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom the safety belts are designed. A young child’s hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s regular safety belt may not remain low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the belt would apply force on a body area that’s unprotected by any bony structure. This alone could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young children always should be secured in appropriate child restraints.

‘L

An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed to restrain or position a child on a continuous flat surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward the center of the vehicle.

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€€- 1

Q: How do child restraints work? A: A child restraint system is any device designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position children. A built-in child restraint system is a permanent part of the motor vehicle. An add-on child restraint system is a portable one, which is purchased by the vehicle’s owner. For many years, add-on child restraints have used the adult belt system in the vehicle. To help reduce the chance of injury, the child also has to be secured within the restraint. The vehicle’s belt system secures the add-on child restraint in the vehicle, and the add-on child restraint’s harness system holds the child in place within the restraint. One system, the three-point harness, has straps that come down over each of the infant’s shoulders and buckle together at the crotch. The five-point harness system has two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hip straps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps that are attached to a flat pad which rests low against the child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield has straps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shield that swings up or to the side.

A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to improve the fit of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and some high-back booster seats have a five-point harness. A booster seat can also help a child to see out the window.

1 -34

When choosing a child restraint, be sure the child restraint is designed to be used in a vehicle. If it is, it will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Then follow the instructions for the restraint. You may find these instructions on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both. These restraints use the belt system in your vehicle, but the child also has to be secured within the restraint to help reduce the chance of personal injury. When securing an add-on child restraint, refer to the instructions that come with the restraint which may be on the restraint itself or in a booklet, or both, and