2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owners Manual

Press the REAR button (the light will glow) to warm the defogger grid on the rear window and to turn on the heated outside rearview mirrors.

The system will turn off automatically after about 10 minutes of use. If you turn it on again, the defogger will operate for about five minutes. You can also turn the defogger off by turning off the ignition or by pressing the button again.

Do not attach a temporary vehicle license across the defogger grid on the rear window.

NOTICE:

Don’t use a razor blade or something else sharp on the inside of the rear window. If you do, you could cut or damage the warming grid, and the repairs wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.

Rear Climate Control (Option) If you have the optional rear climate control, the rear seat passengers can control the temperature and the amount of air directed to the rear of the vehicle. You can also adjust the amount of air directed to the rear of the vehicle using the front fan knob. When it’s cold outside, set the main climate control mode knob to LOWER, DEFOG or DEFROST to send air to the rear of the vehicle through the lower vents. Set the main climate control mode knob to UPPER or BI-LEVEL to send air to the rear of the vehicle through the headliner outlets. To send conditioned air to the rear of the vehicle, press the A/C button (the light will glow) on the main climate controls. If you do not select A/C, air directed to the rear of the vehicle will be cabin temperature.

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Rear Comfort Controls

Rear Fan Control This option comes with the rear climate controls. Keep the area around the base of the center instrument panel console and the area between and under the front seats free of objects that would obstruct airflow to the rear of the vehicle.

The rear fan control is located below the climate control system, in the switchbank.

The rear climate control knobs are in the panel located above the driver’s seat. Turn the temperature knob counterclockwise (to the blue area) for cooler air, or clockwise (to the red area) for warmer air. To maintain a comfortable temperature in the rear, use either rear fan control to adjust the force of air coming through the rear outlets. Select the desired climate control mode using the directional controls on the instrument panel (see “Mode Knob” earlier in the section). The mode you choose will regulate both the front and rear climate control systems.

Turn the fan knob to the desired setting for the amount of air to be directed to the rear of the vehicle. The temperature of the air will be the same as the air in the front of the vehicle. The rear fan control in the instrument panel switchbank has an “R” setting which allows the rear passengers to use the rear climate control knobs to adjust the air through the rear air outlets.

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Rear Air Vents To maximize airflow through the rear heater outlet, place the left bucket seat in the second row in the forward position (see “Adjusting Rear Seats” in the Index).

The vent behind the left rear seat is the cold air return vent. Be sure to keep it free of obstructions. Keep the area around the base of the center instrument panel console, between and under the front seats, free of objects that could obstruct airflow to the rear.

Ventilation System Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside air will also enter the vehicle when the fan is running. Your vehicle has air outlets that allow you to adjust the direction and amount of airflow inside the vehicle. Push the outlet up or down to change the direction of the airflow. Increase or reduce the amount of airflow by opening and closing the louvers. Opening and closing the louvers will also direct airflow from side to side. The air-flow through the vents can be shut off completely by turning the thumbwheel next to each outlet all the way down. You can also stop outside air from entering the vehicle by turning the fan to OFF and pushing the RECIRCULATION button.

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Ventilation Tips D Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or

any other obstruction (such as leaves). This will allow the heater and defroster to work much better, reducing the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

D When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the

fan knob to “5”, the highest setting, for a few moments before driving off. This helps clear the intake ducts of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

D Keep the area around the base of the center

instrument panel console and the air path under the front seats clear of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout your vehicle.

D In cold weather, operating the system in the

OUTSIDE AIR mode will improve the time it takes to warm the vehicle.

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Audio Systems Your audio system has been designed to operate easily and give years of listening pleasure. You will get the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it first. Find out what your audio system can do and how to operate all its controls, to be sure you’re getting the most out of the advanced engineering that went into it. Setting the Clock Press and hold the HR or MN buttons, located below the tune knob, for two seconds. Then press and hold HR until the correct hour appears. AM or PM will appear on the display. Press and hold MN until the correct minute appears. The clock may be set with the ignition on or off. The clock symbol will appear on the display in time-set mode. Press and hold the H button until the correct hour appears. AM will appear on the display for morning hours.Press and hold the M button until the correct minute appears. The clock may be set with the ignition on or off. To set the clock to the time of an FM station broadcasting Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and hold HR and MN or the H and M buttons at the same time for two seconds until UPDATED and the clock symbol appear on the display. If the time is not available from the station, NO UPDAT will appear on the display instead.

AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player with Radio Data System (RDS) and Automatic Tone Control

Playing the Radio PWR: Press this button to turn the system on and off. VOL: Turn this knob clockwise to increase volume. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume. DISP: Press this button to display the clock with the ignition off.

AUTO VOL: Your system has a feature called Speed-Compensated Volume (SCV). With SCV, your audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road and wind noise as you drive. Set the volume at the desired level. Press AUTO VOL to adjust the SCV. AVOL will appear on the display. Each time you press AUTO VOL, another volume setting (LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH) will appear on the display. NONE will appear on the display if the radio cannot find out the vehicle speed. Then, as you drive, SCV automatically increases the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any particular speed. The volume level should always sound the same to you as you drive. If you don’t want to use SCV, select OFF. Each volume setting allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds.

Finding a Station AM FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FM1 and FM2. The display shows your selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to choose radio stations. SEEK: Press the right arrow to tune to the next higher station and the left arrow to tune to the next lower station and stay there.

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PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press AM FM to select the band. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press AUTO TONE to select the equalization that

best suits the type of station selected.

5. Press and hold one of the six numbered buttons. The radio will produce one beep. Whenever you press that numbered button, the station you set will return and the auto tone equalization that you selected will also be automatically selected for that button.

6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. P SCAN: Press and hold one of the arrows for more than two seconds. The radio will produce one beep. Use P SCAN to listen to each of your favorite stations stored on your pushbuttons for a few seconds.

The radio will scan through each of the stations stored on your pushbuttons, except those stations with weak reception. The auto tone setting stored for that pushbutton will be automatically chosen. Press P SCAN or one of the pushbuttons again to stop scanning. SCAN will be displayed whenever the tuner is in the P SCAN mode. The channel number (P1 through P6) will appear with the frequency. In FM mode, this function will scan through the current band such as FM1 or FM2.

Setting the Tone BASS: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until BASS appears on the display. Then turn the knob clockwise to increase bass and counterclockwise to decrease bass. The display will show the bass level. When you use this control, the radio’s auto tone setting will switch to manual and the auto tone display will go blank. To set the tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and display ALL with the level display in the middle position.

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TREB: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to increase treble and counterclockwise to decrease treble. The display will show the treble level. When you use this control, the radio’s auto tone setting will switch to manual and the auto tone display will go blank. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble. AUTO TONE: This feature allows you to choose preset bass and treble equalization settings designed for rock, news, pop, jazz, classic and country stations. TONE and the preset equalization setting will appear on the display when you press AUTO TONE. Each time you press it, another setting will appear on the display. The manual setting allows tone control to return to the bass and treble controls. Use the pushbuttons and the AUTO TONE button to program auto tone for station presets.

Adjusting the Speakers BALANCE: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to move the sound to the right speakers and counterclockwise to move the sound to the left speakers. The middle position balances the sound between the speakers. The display will show the speaker balance. To set the control to the middle position, select the control and press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to the middle position. FADE: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until FADE appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to move the sound to the front speakers and counterclockwise to move the sound to the rear speakers. The middle position balances the sound between the speakers. The display will show the speaker balance.

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Accessing RDS Mode: 1. Push the SEEK TYPE button or turn the P-TYPE

LIST/AUDIO knob to display the program type list. 2. Turn the knob either clockwise or counterclockwise

to select a program type. The list is alphabetical. 3. Push the SEEK TYPE button to activate search. VOL: Turn this knob clockwise to increase volume when RDS interrupts regular play. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume. DISP: Press this knob to recall the RDS station being played. TRAF: Press this button to receive traffic announcements. If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, the radio will seek to a station that does. The TRAF icon will flash on the display. When the radio finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, it will stop. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on the display.

Using RDS Mode Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS mode gives you many useful new features. With RDS, the radio can do the following: D Seek only to stations with the types of programs

you want to listen to,

D seek to stations with traffic announcements, D receive announcements concerning local and

national emergencies, and

D receive and display messages from radio stations. RDS features are only available for use on FM stations which broadcast RDS information. The RDS features of your radio rely upon receiving specific RDS information from these stations. These features will only work when the RDS information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, please contact the radio station. When you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name will appear on the display, instead of the frequency. Most RDS stations provide their station name, the time of day and a Program Type (PTY) for their current programming.

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When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. The TRAF icon and TRAFFIC will appear on the display while the traffic announcement plays. If the compact disc player was being used, the compact disc will stay in the player and resume play at the point where it stopped. INFO: If the current station has a message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. If the whole message does not appear on the display, each time you press this button, the next part of the message will appear on the display until the message is completed. Press this button again to see the message again. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO: Turn this knob clockwise or counterclockwise to select the Program Type (PTY) you want to listen to. TYPE and a program type will appear on the display.

SEEK TYPE: Press this button to go to a station with the last selected program type. TYPE and the last selected program type will appear on the display, if it is not already showing. If a station with the selected program type is not found, the radio will return to the original station and display NONE. If both seek type and traf are on, the radio will search for stations with traffic announcements and the selected program type. ALERT!: This type of announcement warns of national or local emergencies. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. ALERT! appears on the display when an alert announcement plays. When an alert announcement comes on the tuned radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player is playing, play will stop for the announcement and resume when the announcement is finished. ALTERNATE FREQUENCY: This feature allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same programming. Press and hold AM FM for two seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations. Press and hold AM FM again for two seconds to turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations.

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Playing a Compact Disc Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in and the disc should begin playing. The display will show the CD symbol. If you want to insert a compact disc with the ignition off, first press DISP or EJT. If you’re driving on a very rough road or if it’s very hot, the disc may not play and Err (error) may appear on the display. When the road becomes smooth or the temperature returns to normal, the disc should play. If the disc comes out, it could be one of the following: D The disc is upside down. D It is dirty, scratched or wet. D It is very humid. (If so, wait about an hour

and try again.)

If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t be corrected, please contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error number, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.

PREV (1): Press this button to go to the previous track if the current selection has been playing for less than eight seconds. If the PREV button is pressed and the current selection has been playing for more than eight seconds, it will go to the beginning of the current selection. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If you hold the button or press it more than once, the player will continue moving back through the disc. The sound will mute while seeking. NEXT (2): Press this button to go to the next track. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If you hold the button or press it more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the disc. The sound will mute while seeking. REV (3): Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. Press and hold this button for less than two seconds to reverse at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to reverse at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release it to play the passage. The display will show ET and the elapsed time.

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FWD (4): Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. Press and hold this button for less than two seconds to advance at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to advance at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release it to play the passage. The display will show ET and the elapsed time. CD (5): With a compact disc in the player and the radio playing, press this button to play a compact disc. Press AM FM to return to the radio when a compact disc is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. RDM (6): Press this button to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ON will appear on the display. RDM T and the track number will appear on the display when each track starts to play. Press RDM again to turn off random play. RDM OFF will appear on the display. SEEK: Press the SEEK (left arrow) button to go to the start of the current or previous track. Press the SEEK (right arrow) button to go to the start of the next track. If either of the SEEK buttons is held or pressed more then once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD.

DISP: Press this button to see how long the current track has been playing. ET and the elapsed time will appear on the display. To change what is normally shown on the display (track or elapsed time), press the button until you see the display you want, then hold the button for two seconds. The radio will produce one beep. AM FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc is in the player. The disc will stop but remain in the player. CD AUX: With a compact disc in the player and the radio playing, press this button to play a compact disc. Press AM FM to return to the radio when a compact disc is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

EJT: Press this button to remove the disc. The radio will play. EJT may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this button is pressed first. CAL ERR: This message is displayed when the radio has not been calibrated properly for the vehicle. You must return to the dealership for service. LOCKED: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCKR system has locked up. You must return to the dealership for service.

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AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and Compact Disc Player with Radio Data System (RDS) and Automatic Tone Control (If Equipped)

Playing the Radio PWR: Press this button to turn the system on and off. VOL: Turn this knob clockwise to increase volume. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume. DISP: Press this button to display the clock with the ignition off. Press this button to display an RDS station frequency or program type when the radio is on.

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AUTO VOL: Your system has a feature called Speed-Compensated Volume (SCV). With SCV, your audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road and wind noise as you drive. Set the volume at the desired level. Press AUTO VOL to adjust the SCV. AVOL will appear on the display. Each time you press AUTO VOL, another volume setting (LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH) will appear on the display. NONE will appear on the display if the radio cannot find out the vehicle speed. Then, as you drive, SCV automatically increases the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any particular speed. The volume level should always sound the same to you as you drive. If you don’t want to use SCV, select OFF. Each volume setting allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds.

Finding a Station AM FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FM1 and FM2. The display shows your selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to choose radio stations. SEEK: Press the right arrow to tune to the next higher station and the left arrow to tune to the next lower station and stay there. The radio will seek to stations with a strong signal only.

PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press AM FM to select the band. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press AUTO TONE to select the equalization that

best suits the type of station selected.

5. Press and hold one of the six numbered buttons.

The radio will beep once to confirm. Whenever you press that numbered button, the station you set will return and the AUTO TONE equalization that you selected will also be automatically selected for that button.

6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. P SCAN: Press and hold one of the arrows for more than two seconds. The radio will beep once to confirm. Use P SCAN to listen to each of your favorite stations stored on your pushbuttons for a few seconds.

The radio will scan through each of the stations stored on your pushbuttons, except those stations with weak reception. The auto tone setting stored for that pushbutton will be automatically chosen. Press P SCAN or one of the pushbuttons again to stop scanning. SCAN will be displayed whenever the tuner is in the preset scan mode. The channel number (P1 through P6) will appear with the frequency. In FM mode, this function will scan through the current band such as FM1 or FM2.

Setting the Tone BASS: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until BASS appears on the display. Then turn the knob clockwise to increase bass and counterclockwise to decrease bass. The display will show the bass level. When you use this control, the radio’s auto tone setting will switch to manual. To set bass to the middle position, select the control and press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to the middle position. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and display ALL with the level display in the middle position.

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TREBLE: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to increase treble and counterclockwise to decrease treble. The display will show the treble level. When you use this control, the radio’s auto tone setting will switch to manual. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble. To set treble to the middle position, select the control and press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to the middle position. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and display ALL with the level display in the middle position. AUTO TONE: This feature allows you to choose preset bass and treble equalization settings designed for rock, news, pop, jazz, classical and country music stations. TONE and the preset equalization setting will appear on the display when you press AUTO TONE. Each time you press it, another setting will appear on the display. The manual setting allows tone control to return to the bass and treble controls. Use the pushbuttons and the AUTO TONE button to program the auto tone for station presets.

Adjusting the Speakers BALANCE: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to move the sound to the right speakers and counterclockwise to move the sound to the left speakers. The middle position balances the sound between the speakers. The display will show the speaker balance. To set the balance to the middle position, select the control and press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to the middle position. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and display ALL with the level display in the middle position. FADE: Press and release the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob until FADE appears on the display. Turn the knob clockwise to move the sound to the front speakers and counterclockwise to move the sound to the rear speakers. The middle position balances the sound between the speakers. The display will show the speaker balance.

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To set the fade to the middle position, select the control and press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to the middle position. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and display ALL with the level display in the middle position.

Using RDS Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS is a system that sends data along with the audio of the FM station you are currently tuned to. You can use RDS to display program information and to control your radio. With RDS, the radio can do the following: D Seek only to stations with the types of programs

you want to listen to,

D seek to stations with traffic announcements, D receive announcements concerning local and

national emergencies, and

D receive and display messages from radio stations.

RDS is always on. RDS features are only available for use on FM stations which broadcast RDS information. The RDS features of your radio rely upon receiving specific RDS information from these stations. These features will only work when the RDS information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, please contact the radio station. When you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name will appear on the display, instead of the frequency. Most RDS stations provide their station name, the time of day and a Program Type (PTY) for their current programming. Some stations also provide the name of the current program. DISP: Press this knob to change what appears on the display while using RDS. The display options are station name, station frequency, PTY and the name of the program (if available). Press and hold the display knob to set the default display of the RDS station from the displays available.

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Accessing RDS Stations: 1. Push the SEEK TYPE button or turn the P-TYPE

LIST/AUDIO knob to display the program type list. 2. Turn the knob either clockwise or counterclockwise

to select a program type. The list is alphabetical. If you select ANY TYPE your radio will seek to the first PTY available.

3. Push the SEEK TYPE button to activate search. TRAF: Press this button to receive traffic announcements. If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, the radio will seek to a station that does. The traf icon will flash on the display. When the radio finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, it will stop. If no station is found, NO TRAF will appear on the display. Traffic Interrupt Feature: Your radio can be programmed to interrupt the playback of a cassette tape, CD or FM radio by enabling the traffic interrupt feature. Press the TRAF button once to seek to an RDS station that supports the traffic interrupt feature if the current tuned station does not. The traf icon will flash on the display when seeking for a station that supports traffic interrupt. When the traffic interrupt feature is on, TRAF will appear on the display.

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When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a cassette tape or compact disc is playing. The traf icon and TRAFFIC will appear on the display while the traffic announcement plays. If the cassette tape or compact disc player was being used, the tape or compact disc will stay in the player and resume play at the point where it stopped. VOL: Turn this knob clockwise to increase volume when RDS interrupts regular play. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume. INFO: If the current station has a message, INFO will appear on the display. These text messages are from the RDS broadcaster to the listening public and may be general information such as artist and song title, call in phone numbers, etc. Press this button to see the message. If the whole message does not appear on the display, parts of the message will appear every three seconds until the message is completed. To scroll through the message at your own speed press the INFO button again for less than one second. A new group of words will appear on the display. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The old message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to.

P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO: Turn this knob clockwise or counterclockwise to select the Program Type (PTY) you want to listen to. TYPE and PTY will appear on the display. Press the SEEK TYPE button and the radio will seek to the first RDS broadcaster of the selected PTY. If the radio cannot find the desired PTY, NONE will appear on the display and the radio will return to the last station you were listening to. SEEK TYPE: Press this button to go to a station with the last selected PTY. TYPE and the last selected PTY will appear on the display, if it is not already showing. Press SEEK TYPE a second time to seek. If a station with the selected PTY is not found, the radio will return to the original station and display NONE. ALERT!: This type of announcement warns of national or local emergencies. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. ALERT! appears on the display when an alert announcement plays. When an alert announcement comes on the tuned radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a cassette tape or compact disc is playing. If the cassette tape or compact disc player is playing, play will stop for the announcement and resume when the announcement is finished.

This function will only work during actual emergency broadcasts, and will not work during tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations. ALTERNATE FREQUENCY: This RDS feature allows the radio to switch frequencies to the best quality station with the same programming. Alternate frequency is off by default from the factory. Press and hold AM FM for two seconds to turn alternate frequency on or off. AF ON or AF OFF will appear on the display and the radio will beep once. The radio will not switch to other stations when alternate frequency is off.

Playing a Cassette Tape Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer than that are so thin they may not work well in this player. The longer side with the tape visible should face to the right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is off, the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. A tape symbol is shown on the display whenever a tape is inserted. If you hear nothing but a garbled sound, the tape may not be in squarely. Press EJT to remove the tape and start over.

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While the tape is playing, use the VOL, P-TYPE LIST/AUDIO and SEEK controls just as you do for the radio. The display will show TAPE and an arrow showing which side of the tape is playing. If you want to insert a tape when the ignition is off, first press EJT or DISP. If CHK TAPE appears on the radio display, the tape won’t play because of an error. CHK TAPE may be displayed when the tape is tight and the player can’t turn the tape hubs. Remove the tape. Hold the tape with the open end down and try to turn the right hub counterclockwise with a pencil. Turn the tape over and repeat. If the hubs do not turn easily, your tape may be damaged and should not be used in the player. Try a new tape to make sure your player is working properly. CHK TAPE may be displayed when the tape is broken. Try a new tape. CHK TAPE may be displayed when the tape is wrapped around the tape head. Attempt to get the cassette out. Try a new tape.

If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t be corrected, please contact your dealer. PREV (1): Press this button or the left SEEK arrow to go to the previous selection on the tape if the selection has been playing for less than three seconds. If the PREV button or the left SEEK arrow is pressed and the current selection has been playing for more than 13 seconds, it will go to the beginning of the current selection. If the PREV button or the left SEEK arrow is pressed and the current selection has been playing from three to 13 seconds, it will go to the beginning of the previous selection or the beginning of the current selection, depending on the position on the tape. SEEK and a “-1” will appear on the display while the cassette player is in PREV mode. If PREV or the left SEEK arrow is pressed additional times or held, the radio will go to displayed number of previous selections up to“9”. SEEK and a negative number will appear on the display. Your tape must have at least three seconds of silence between each selection for PREV to work. The sound will mute while seeking.

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NEXT (2): Press this button to go to the next selection on the tape. If you press the button more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the tape. SEEK and a positive number will appear on the display. Your tape must have at least three seconds of silence between each selection for NEXT to work. To forward through each selection press the right SEEK arrow. The sound will mute while seeking. REV (3): Press this button to reverse the tape rapidly. Press it again to return to playing speed. The radio will play the last selected station while the tape reverses. The station frequency and REV will appear on the display. You may select stations during REV operation by using the TUNE, SEEK and the P SCAN controls. FWD (4): Press this button to advance quickly to another part of the tape. Press the button again to return to playing speed. The radio will play the last selected station while the tape advances. The station frequency and FWD will appear on the display. You may select stations during FWD operation by using the TUNE, SEEK and the P SCAN controls. SIDE (5): Press this button to play the other side of the tape. TAPE and an up or down arrow will appear on the display.

D (6): Press this button to reduce background noise. NR ON will appear on the display. Press it again to turn Dolby off. NR OFF will appear on the display. Dolby Noise Reduction is manufactured under a license from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. SEEK: SEEK(right arrow) is the same as NEXT, and SEEK (left arrow) is the same as PREV. If the button is held or pressed more than once, the player will continue moving forward or backward through the tape. SEEK and a positive or negative number will appear on the display. AM FM: Press this button to play the radio when a tape is in the player. The tape will stop but remain in the player. TAPE CD: With a tape in the player and the radio playing, press this button to play a tape. Press AM FM to return to the radio when a tape is playing. Press TAPE CD to switch between the tape and compact disc if both are loaded. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

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EJT: Press this button located next to the cassette slot to remove a tape. The radio will play. EJT may be activated with the radio off. Cassette tapes may be loaded with the radio off if this button is pressed first. CLEAN: If this message appears on the display, the cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. See “Care of Your Cassette Tape Player” in the Index. After you clean the player, press and hold the cassette eject button for five seconds to reset the CLEAN indicator. The radio display will display CLEANED to show the indicator was reset.

Tight/Loose Tape Sensor Defeat With the radio off and the ignition on, press and hold the TAPE CD button to disable the tight/loose tape sensing feature to enable play of some tape head cleaners and portable CD adapters. The radio will display READY and flash the cassette icon. The tight/loose tape sensing feature will then be disabled until the next time a cassette is ejected.

Playing a Compact Disc Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in. The disc should begin playing. The display will show the CD symbol. If you want to insert a compact disc with the ignition off, first press DISP or EJT. If you’re driving on a very rough road or if it’s very hot, the disc may not play and CHECK CD may appear on the display. When the road becomes smooth or the temperature returns to normal, the disc should play. If the disc comes out, it could be one of the following: D The disc is upside down. D It is dirty, scratched or wet. D It is very humid. (If so, wait about an hour

and try again.)

If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t be corrected, please contact your dealer.

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PREV (1): Press this button or the left SEEK arrow to go to the previous track if the current selection has been playing for less than eight seconds. If the PREV button or the left SEEK arrow is pressed and the current selection has been playing for more than eight seconds, it will go to the beginning of the current selection. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If you hold the button or press it more than once, the player will continue moving back through the disc. The sound will mute while seeking. NEXT (2): Press this button or the right SEEK arrow to go to the next track. TRACK and the track number will appear on the display. If you hold the button or the right SEEK arrow, or press it more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the disc. The sound will mute while seeking. REV (3): Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. Press and hold this button for less than two seconds to reverse at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to reverse at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release it to play the passage. The display will show ET and the elapsed time.

FWD (4): Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. Press and hold this button for less than two seconds to advance at six times the normal playing speed. Press and hold it for more than two seconds to advance at 17 times the normal playing speed. Release it to play the passage. The display will show ET and the elapsed time. CD (5): With a compact disc in the player and the radio playing, press this button to play a compact disc. Press AM FM to return to the radio when a compact disc is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. RDM (6): Press this button to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ON will show on the display. RDM T and the track number will appear on the display when each track starts to play. Press RDM again to turn off random play. RDM OFF will appear on the display. SEEK: Press the SEEK (left arrow) button to go to the start of the current or previous track. Press the SEEK (right arrow) button to go to the start of the next track. If either of the SEEK buttons is held or pressed more then once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD.

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AM-FM Stereo with 6-Disc Compact Disc Player with Programmable Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS) (Option)

Playing the Radio VOLUME PWR: Press this knob to turn the system on and off. To increase volume, turn the knob clockwise. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume.

DISP: Press this button to see how long the current track has been playing. ET and the elapsed time will appear on the display. To change what is normally shown on the display (track or elapsed time), press the button until you see the display you want, then hold the button for two seconds. The radio will produce one beep. AM FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc is in the player. The disc will stop but remain in the player. TAPE CD: With a CD in the player and the radio playing, press this button to play a CD. Press AM FM to return to the radio when a CD is playing. Press TAPE CD to switch between the tape and compact disc if both are loaded. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

EJT: Press this button located below the CD slot

to remove the disc. The radio will play. EJT may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this button is pressed first. CAL ERR: This message is displayed when the radio has not been calibrated properly for the vehicle. You must return to the dealership for service. LOCKED: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCKR system has locked up. You must return to the dealership for service.

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AUTO VOL: Your system has a feature called automatic volume. With this feature, your audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road and wind noise as you drive. Set the volume at the desired level. Press this button to select MIN, MED or MAX. Each choice allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. Then, as you drive, automatic volume automatically increases the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any particular speed. The volume level should always sound the same to you as you drive. If you don’t want to use automatic volume, select OFF.

Finding a Station AM FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FM1 and FM2. The display shows your selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations. SEEK: Press the right or left arrow to go to the next higher or lower station and stay there. The sound will mute while seeking. SCAN: Press and hold either SEEK SCAN arrow for two seconds until SC appears on the display and you hear a beep. Use SCAN to listen to stations for a few seconds. The radio will go to a station, stop for a few seconds, then go on to the next station.

Press either SEEK SCAN arrow again to stop scanning. If you press SEEK SCAN for more than four seconds, the radio will change to preset scan mode. The sound will mute while scanning. PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press AM FM to select the band. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press AUTO EQ to select the equalization that best

suits the type of station selected.

5. Press and hold one of the six numbered buttons until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered button, the station you set will return and the equalization that you selected will also be automatically selected for that button. 6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

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PRESET SCAN: Press and hold either SEEK SCAN arrow for more than four seconds, PRESET SCAN will appear on the display. You will hear a double beep and the “P” will blink with the preset number. Use PRESET SCAN to listen to each of your preset stations for a few seconds. The radio will go to a preset station stored on your pushbuttons, stop for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press either SEEK SCAN arrow again to stop scanning presets.

Setting the Tone BASS: Press the AUDIO knob until BASS appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase or decrease bass. When you use this control, the radio’s tone setting will switch to custom. To set the bass to the middle position, select BASS and press and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to zero. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.

MID: Press the AUDIO knob until MID appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase or decrease mid. When you use this control, the radio’s tone setting will switch to custom. To set the mid to the middle position, select MID and press and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to zero. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display. TREB: Press the AUDIO knob until TREB appears on the display. Turn the knob to increase or decrease treble. When you use this control, the radio’s tone setting will switch to custom. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble. To set treble to the middle position, select TREB and press and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will produce one beep and set the display level to zero. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when no tone or speaker control is active. The radio will produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.

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AUTO EQ: This feature allows you to choose preset bass, mid and treble equalization settings designed for country, jazz, talk, pop, rock and classical stations. The last setting will appear on the display when you first press AUTO EQ. Each time you press AUTO EQ, another setting will appear on the display. Press AUTO EQ again after TALK appears and CUSTOM will appear. Tone control will return to the BASS, MID and TREB. Also, if you alter BASS, MID, or TREB while in an auto EQ setting, the radio will return to CUSTOM. CUSTOM will appear on the display.

Using RDS Mode Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS mode gives you many useful new features. With RDS, the radio can do the following: D Seek only to stations with the types of programs

you want to listen to,

D seek to stations with traffic announcements, D receive announcements concerning local and

national emergencies, and

D receive and display messages from radio stations.

RDS features are only available for use on FM stations which broadcast RDS information. The RDS features of your radio rely upon receiving specific RDS information from these stations. These features will only work when the RDS information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, please contact the radio station. When you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name will appear on the display, instead of the frequency. Most RDS stations provide their station name, the time of day and a Program Type (PTY) for their current programming. TRAF: Press this button to receive traffic announcements. The traffic announcement brackets will appear on the display. TRAF will appear on the display if the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, the radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio finds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, it will stop. If no station is found, NONE FOUND will appear on the display.

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When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station or a related network station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player was being used, the compact disc will stay in the player and resume play at the point where it stopped. INFO: If the current station has a message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. If the whole message does not appear on the display, parts of the message will appear every three seconds until the message is completed. To see the parts of the message faster than every three seconds, press this button again. A new group of words will appear on the display. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. P-TYPE: This button is used to turn on and off Program Type (PTY) selections. PTY and the light next to the button will turn on. The last selected PTY will appear on the display for five seconds. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select the PTY you want to listen to. Press the SEEK SCAN arrows to find radio stations of the PTY you want to listen to. The last PTY selected will be used for seek or scan modes.

If a station with the selected PTY is not found, NONE FOUND will appear on the display. If both P-TYPE and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations with traffic announcements and the selected PTY. To use the P-TYPE interrupt feature, press and hold the P-TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY you want to interrupt on. When you are listening to a compact disc, the last selected RDS FM station will interrupt play if that selected PTY format is broadcast. PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite Program Types (PTYs). These buttons have factory PTY presets. You can set up to 12 PTYs (six FM1 and six FM2) by performing the following steps: 1. Press P-TYPE, if it is not already on. 2. Press AM FM to select FM1 or FM2. 3. Turn the P-TYPE knob to select a PTY. 4. Press and hold one of the six numbered buttons until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered button, the PTY you set will return.

5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.

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ALERT!: This type of announcement warns of national or local emergencies. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. ALERT! appears on the display when an alert announcement plays. When an alert announcement comes on the tuned radio station, you will hear it, even if the volume is muted or a compact disc is playing. If the compact disc player is playing, play will stop for the announcement and resume when the announcement is finished. ALTERNATE FREQUENCY: This feature allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. Press and hold AM FM for two seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations. Press and hold AM FM again for two seconds to turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations. When you turn the ignition off and then on again, the alternate frequency feature will automatically be turned on.

Adjusting the Speakers BAL-FADE: The AUDIO knob adjusts balance and fade. To adjust balance, press the AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Turn the knob to adjust the sound to the left or right speakers. The middle position balances the sound between the speakers. To adjust fade, press and hold the AUDIO knob until FAD appears on the display. Turn the knob to adjust the sound to the front or rear speakers. The middle position balances the sound between the speakers. To set the balance and fade to the middle position, select balance or fade and press and hold the AUDIO knob. The radio will beep once and will set the display level to the middle position. To set all tone and speaker controls to the middle position, press and hold the AUDIO knob when tone or speaker controls are not active. The radio will produce one beep and CENTERED will appear on the display.

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Playing a Compact Disc LOAD: This compact disc player will accommodate up to six discs. To insert one disc do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and release the LOAD button. 3. Wait for the light, located to the right of the slot,

to turn green.

4. Load a disc. Insert a disc partway into the slot,

label side up. The player will pull the disc in. When the disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be displayed. If you select an EQ setting for your disc, it will be activated each time you play a disc. If the radio is on or off, the disc will begin to play automatically.

To insert multiple discs do the following: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Press and hold the LOAD button for two seconds.

You will then hear a beep and the light, located to the right of the slot, will begin to flash.

3. Once the light stops flashing and turns green, load a disc. Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull the disc in. Once the disc is loaded, the light will begin flashing again. Once the light stops flashing and turns green you can then load another disc. The disc player takes up to six discs. Do not try to load more than six. When a disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be displayed. If more than one disc has been loaded, a number for each disc will be displayed. If you select an EQ setting for your disc, it will be activated each time you play a disc. If the radio is on or off, the last disc loaded will begin to play automatically.

4. To load more than one disc but less than six,

complete Steps 1, 2 and 3. When you have finished loading discs, with the radio on or off, press LOAD to cancel the loading function. The radio will begin to play the last CD loaded.

As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display.

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Playing a Specific Loaded CD: For every CD loaded, a number will appear on the radio display. To play a specific CD, first press the CD AUX button to start playing a CD. Then press the numbered button that corresponds to the CD you want to play. A small bar will appear under the CD number that is playing, and the track number will appear. If CHECK CD appears on the radio display, it could be due to one of the following conditions: D The road is too rough. The disc should play when

the road is smoother.

D The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down. D The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour

and try again.

If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t be corrected, please contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem.

: This button will eject a disc or discs, if you

CD have multiple discs loaded. To eject a disc or discs from the disc player perform one of the following steps: D Press and release the eject button to eject the disc

that is currently playing, or

D to eject all of the discs, press this button for two

seconds, you will hear a beep, and the light will flash to let you know when a disc is being ejected.

When the eject button is pressed, the receiver will eject the disc and REMOVE CD will be displayed. You can now remove the disc. If the disc is not removed, after 25 seconds, the disc will be automatically pulled back into the receiver. If you try to push the disc back into the receiver, before the 25 second time period is complete, the receiver will sense an error and will try to eject the disc several times before stopping. You cannot repeatedly press the eject button to eject the disc after you have tried to push the CD in manually. The receivers 25-second eject timer will reset at each press of eject, which will cause the receiver to not eject the disc until the 25-second time period has elapsed.

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Once the player stops and the disc is ejected, remove the disc. After removing the disc, press the VOLUME PWR knob off and then on again. This will clear the disc-sensing feature and enable discs to be loaded into the player again. REV: Press and hold this button to reverse quickly within a track. Release it to play the passage. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. The display will show elapsed time. FWD: Press and hold this button to advance quickly within a track. Release it to play the passage. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. The display will show elapsed time. RPT: With repeat, you can repeat one track or an entire disc. To use repeat, do the following: D To repeat the track you are listening to, press and

release the RPT button. RPT will appear on the display. Press RPT again to turn it off.

D To repeat the disc you are listening to, press and hold the RPT button for two seconds. Press RPT again to turn if off.

RDM: With random, you can listen to the tracks in random, rather than sequential order, on all of the discs or on one disc. To use random, do the following: D Press and release the RDM button to play the

tracks on all of the discs that are loaded, in random order. RDM will appear in the display. Press RDM to turn it off.

D To play the tracks on the disc you are listening to

in random order, press and hold RDM for more than two seconds. You will hear a beep and RDM will appear on the display. Press RDM again to turn if off.

AUTO EQ: Press AUTO EQ to select the desired preset equalization setting while playing a compact disc. The equalization will be automatically set whenever you play a compact disc. SEEK: Press the left arrow while playing a CD to go to the start of the current track, if more than ten seconds have played. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you press the button more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the disc.

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SCAN: Press and hold either SEEK SCAN arrow for more than two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. Use SEEK SCAN to listen to each track for a few seconds. The sound will mute while scanning. SCAN will appear on the display. Press either SEEK SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning. DISC SCAN: Press and hold either SEEK SCAN arrow for more than four seconds until DISC SCAN appears on the display and you hear a beep. Use DISC SCAN to listen to the first track, for ten seconds of each disc loaded. The sound will mute while scanning to the next track. DISC SCAN will appear on the display. Press either SEEK SCAN arrow again, to stop scanning. RCL: Press this button to see how long the current track has been playing. To change what is normally shown on the display (track or elapsed time), press the button until you see the display you want, then hold the button until the display flashes. AM FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc is in the player.

Using Song List Mode The integrated 6-disc CD changer has a feature called song list. This feature is capable of saving 20 track selections. To save tracks into SONG LIST perform the following steps: 1. The disc player must be on with at least one disc

loaded. See “LOAD/EJECT” previously for more information.

2. The disc changer must not be in song list mode.

S-LIST should not appear in the display. If S-LIST is present, press SONG LIST to turn it off.

3. Select the desired disc by pressing the numbered pushbutton and then use the SEEK SCAN right arrow button to locate the track that you want to save. The track will begin to play.

4. Press and hold SONG LIST for two or more seconds

to save the track into memory. When SONG LIST is pressed a beep will be heard immediately. After two seconds of pressing SONG LIST continuously, two beeps will sound, to confirm that the track has been saved.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for saving other selections.

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To play the song list, press SONG LIST. One beep will be heard and S-LIST will appear on the display. The recorded tracks will begin to play in the order that they were saved. You may seek through the song list by using the SEEK SCAN arrows. Seeking past the last saved track will return you to the first saved track. To delete tracks from SONG LIST perform the following steps: 1. The disc player must be turned on. 2. Press SONG LIST to turn song list on.

S-LIST will appear on the display.

3. Press the SEEK SCAN arrows to select the

desired track to be deleted.

4. Press and hold the SONG LIST button for two

seconds. When pressing SONG LIST one beep will be heard immediately. After two seconds of pressing the SONG LIST button continuously, two beeps will be heard, to confirm that the track has been deleted.

After a track has been deleted, the remaining tracks are moved up the list. When another track is added to the song list, the tracks will be added to the end of the list. To delete the entire SONG LIST perform the following steps: 1. The disc player must be on. 2. Press SONG LIST to turn song list on.

S-LIST will appear on the display.

3. Press and hold SONG LIST for more than four seconds. A beep will be heard, followed by two beeps after two seconds and a final beep will be heard after four seconds. S-LIST EMPTY will appear on the display indicating that the song list has been deleted.

If a disc is ejected, and the song list contains saved tracks from that disc, those tracks are automatically deleted from the song list. To end SONG LIST mode, press the SONG LIST button. One beep will be heard and S-LIST will be removed from the display.

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Rear Seat Audio (Option)

This feature allows rear seat passengers to listen to any of the music sources including AM-FM, automatic tone control, cassette tapes or CDs. However, the rear seat passengers can only control the music sources that the front seat passengers are not listening to. For example, rear seat passengers may listen to a cassette tape or CD through headphones while the driver listens to the radio through the front speakers. The rear seat passengers have control of the volume for each set of headphones. Be aware that the front seat audio controls always override the rear seat audio controls. This feature is intended for rear seat passengers.

The following function is controlled by the primary radio knob: POWER-VOL: Push this knob twice to turn the rear seat audio system on or off. ON or OFF will be displayed for five seconds. The rear speakers will be muted when the power is turned on. You may operate the rear seat audio functions when the primary radio power is off if the ignition is on. The following functions are controlled by the rear seat audio system buttons: PWR: Press this button to turn the rear seat audio system on or off. The rear speakers will be muted when the power is turned on. You may operate the rear seat audio functions even when the primary radio power is off. VOL: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the knob clockwise to increase volume and counterclockwise to decrease volume. Push the knob back into its stored position when you’re not using it. The upper VOL knob controls the upper headphone and the lower VOL knob controls the lower headphone. AM FM: Press this button to switch between AM, FM1 and FM2. The display will show your frequency selection. If the front passengers are already listening to AM-FM, the rear seat audio controller will not switch between the bands and cannot change the frequency.

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TAPE CD: With a cassette tape in the player and the radio playing, press this button to play a cassette tape. Press TAPE CD to switch between the tape and compact disc if both are loaded. Press AM FM to return to the radio when a cassette tape or compact disc is playing. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. Theft-Deterrent Feature THEFTLOCKR is designed to discourage theft of your radio. The feature works automatically by learning a portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not operate and LOCKED will be displayed. When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking red light indicates that THEFTLOCK is armed. With THEFTLOCK activated, your radio will not operate if stolen.

SEEK: Press the up arrow to tune to the next higher station and stay there. Press the down arrow to tune to the next lower station and stay there. The display will show your selection. The sound will mute while seeking. The SEEK button is inactive if the AM FM mode on the front radio is in use. While listening to a cassette tape, press the up arrow to hear the next selection on the tape. Press the down arrow to go back to the previous selection. The SEEK button is inactive if the tape mode on the front radio is in use. While listening to a CD, press the up arrow to hear the next selection on the CD. Press the down arrow to go back to the start of the current selection (if more than eight seconds have played). The SEEK button is inactive if the CD mode on the front radio (if equipped) or the CD changer is in use. P.SET PROG: The front passengers must be listening to something different for each of these functions to work: D Press this button to seek through your preset radio

stations set on your primary radio pushbuttons. The display will show your selections.

D When a cassette tape is playing, press this button

to go to the other side of the tape.

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Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped) If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.

SEEK: Press the up arrow to tune to a higher radio station and the down arrow to tune to a lower radio station. The sound will mute while seeking. When playing a cassette tape or compact disc, press SEEK to hear the next selection. AM/FM: Press this button to choose AM or FM. PRESET: Press this button to play a station you have programmed on the radio preset buttons. VOL: Press the up or down arrow to increase or decrease volume. PLAY: Press this button to play a loaded cassette tape or compact disc when the radio is playing. MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it again to turn on the sound. This button may be used when listening to the radio, a cassette tape or a compact disc.

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Understanding Radio Reception

AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range, however, can cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.

FM Stereo FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to come and go. Tips About Your Audio System Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe sound level before your hearing adapts to it.

To help avoid hearing loss or damage: D Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting. D Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably

and clearly.

NOTICE:

Before you add any sound equipment to your vehicle -- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile telephone or two-way radio -- be sure you can add what you want. If you can, it’s very important to do it properly. Added sound equipment may interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine, Delphi Delco Electronics radio or other systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may interfere with the operation of sound equipment that has been added improperly. So, before adding sound equipment, check with your dealership and be sure to check Federal rules covering mobile radio and telephone units.

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Care of Your Cassette Tape Player A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and extreme heat. If they aren’t, they may not operate properly or may cause failure of the tape player. Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every 50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate that you have used your tape player for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message appears on the display, your cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and player. If you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if it is the tape or the tape player at fault. If this other cassette has no improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player. The recommended cleaning method for your cassette tape player is the use of a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The recommended cleaning cassette is available through your dealership (GM Part No. 12344789).

When using a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette, it is normal for the cassette to eject because your unit is equipped with a cut tape detection feature and a cleaning cassette may appear as a broken tape. To prevent the cleaning cassette from being ejected, use the following steps. 1. Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY. 2. Turn the radio off. 3. Press and hold the TAPE CD button for five seconds. READY will appear on the display for five seconds.

4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette. 5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s

recommended cleaning time.

When the cleaning cassette has been ejected, the cut tape detection feature is active again. You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning cassette is not recommended.

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After you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will display --- to show the indicator was reset. Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape is in good condition before you have your tape player serviced. Care of Your Compact Discs Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge. Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.

Care of Your Compact Disc Player The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. Integrated Windshield Antenna The antenna in your vehicle is a very thin, metal layer in the windshield. If you look near the edges of the windshield, you can see the outline of the antenna. The connector is at the top of the windshield, where the headliner ends. If you experience difficulty with remote transmitters, such as a garage door opener, try pointing the device through the very top of the windshield.

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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road

Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We’ve also included many other useful tips on driving.

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Defensive Driving Drunken Driving Control of a Vehicle Braking Traction Control System (Option) Steering Off-Road Recovery Passing Loss of Control Driving at Night

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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads City Driving Freeway Driving Before Leaving on a Long Trip Highway Hypnosis Hill and Mountain Roads Winter Driving Recreational Vehicle Towing Loading Your Vehicle Towing a Trailer

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Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes. Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following distance. It’s the best defensive driving maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly. Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving task -- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the floor -- makes proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life.

Defensive Driving The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up. See “Safety Belts” in the Index.

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Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: D Judgment D Muscular Coordination D Vision D Attentiveness. Police records show that almost half of all motor vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases, these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking and driving. In recent years, about 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured.

Many adults -- by some estimates, nearly half the adult population -- choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it’s against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical, psychological and developmental reasons for these laws. The obvious way to solve the leading highway safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if the driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: D The amount of alcohol consumed D The drinker’s body weight D The amount of food that is consumed before and

during drinking

D The length of time it has taken the drinker to

consume the alcohol.

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According to the American Medical Association, a 180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.

It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight when each has the same number of drinks. The law in many U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of U.S. states, and throughout Canada, the limit is 0.08 percent. In some other countries, it’s even lower. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.

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But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.

There’s something else about drinking and driving that many people don’t know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or heart. This means that when anyone who has been drinking -- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the person had not been drinking.

CAUTION:

Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and judgment can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious -- or even fatal -- collision if you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you’re with a group, designate a driver who will not drink.

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Control of a Vehicle You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.

Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle. Also see “Traction Control System” in the Index. 4-6

Braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time. Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is important. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking -- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking and longer brake life. If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.

Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid. When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and you may even notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.

If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.

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The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire and road conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.

Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet. You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s what happens with ABS. A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each wheel.

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As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. Using Anti-Lock Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal.

Braking in Emergencies With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more than even the very best braking.

Traction Control System (Option) Your vehicle may have a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system works the front brakes and reduces engine power to limit wheel spin. The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on when the traction control system is limiting wheel spin. See “TRACTION ACTIVE Message” in the Index. You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may reengage the cruise control. See “Cruise Control” in the Index.

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You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See “Rocking Your Vehicle” in the Index.

To turn the system off, press the TCS button on the center console switchbank.

If the system is limiting wheel spin when you press the button, the message will go off, but the system will not turn off until there is no longer a current need to limit wheel spin. The TRAC OFF light will come on to remind you the system is off. You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing the button again. The traction control system warning message should go off.

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If this message comes on and stays on or comes on while you are driving, there’s a problem with your traction control system. See “Service Traction System Warning Message” in the Index. When this warning message is on, the TRAC OFF light will come on to remind you that the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But you can turn the traction control system off if you ever need to.

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Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort.

Steering Tips Driving on Curves It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news happen on curves. Here’s why: Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.

Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems -- steering and acceleration -- have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. Refer to “Traction Control System” in the Index. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.

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Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking -- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time for evasive action -- steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. See “Braking in Emergencies” earlier in this section. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available.

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An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly.

Off-Road Recovery You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.

If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.

Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: D “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides

and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. D Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.

If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass (providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.

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D Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to

pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.

D When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,

start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t get too close. Time your move so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a “running start” that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity.

D If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot.

D Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is.)

D Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time

on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.

D Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.

Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn.

D If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.

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Loss of Control Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If you have the “Traction Control System,” remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do not have this system, or if the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues -- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down when you have any doubt. Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid.

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Driving at Night

Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Here are some tips on night driving. D Drive defensively. D Don’t drink and drive.

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D Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the

glare from headlamps behind you.

D Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles.

D Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your

headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

D In remote areas, watch for animals. D If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place

and rest.

No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible.

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean -- inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness -- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t even aware of it.

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads

Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.

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The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road and even people walking. It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.

Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.

CAUTION:

Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.

Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.

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Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.

Driving Through Deep Standing Water

NOTICE:

If you drive too quickly through deep puddles