Bumper-to-Bumper 3-years/36,000 miles (60 000 km) Limited Warranty Every 2000 Alero under warranty is backed with the following 1-800-442-OLDS services: (( ForFor vehiclesvehicles purchasedpurchased inin Canada,Canada, call 1-800-268-6800) that provides in an emergency: Courtesy Free lockout assistance Transportation Free dead-battery assistance Free out-of-fuel assistance Free flat-tire change Emergency towing 2000 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manual Litho in U.S.A. © Copyright General Motors Corporation 1999 Part Number 22618959 A First Edition All Rights Reserved i Table of Contents Seats and Restraint Systems Section 1 Seats and Seat Controls Air Bag Systems Safety Belts Child Restraints Features and Controls Section 2 Keys and Door Locks Windshield Wipers Remote Lock Control Cruise Control Trunk Release Interior and Exterior Lamps Automatic Transmission (If Equipped) Mirrors Manual Transmission Storage Compartments Parking Brake Convenience Net (If Equipped) Windows Accessory Power Outlets Tilt Wheel Sunroof (If Equipped) Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever Instrument Panel, Warning Lights and Gages ii Table of Contents (cont'd) Comfort Controls and Audio Systems Section 3 Heating and Air Conditioning Radio/Cassette Player/CD Player Setting the Radio Clock Radio Theft-Deterrent Feature Your Driving and the Road Section 4 Defensive Driving Steering Drunken Driving Driving Tips for Various Road Conditions Control of a Vehicle Recreational Vehicle Towing Braking Loading Your Vehicle Enhanced Traction System Towing a Trailer Problems on the Road Section 5 Hazard Warning Flashers Engine Overheating Jump Starting Changing a Flat Tire Towing Your Vehicle If You're Stuck iii Table of Contents (cont'd) Service and Appearance Care Section 6 Fuel Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Checking Fluids and Lubricants Tires and Wheels GM Oil Life System™ Appearance Care Engine Air Cleaner/Filter Electrical System/Fuses and Circuit Breakers Brakes Capacities and Specifications Bulb Replacement Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts Maintenance Schedule Section 7 Scheduled Maintenance Recommended Fluids and Lubricants Owner Checks and Services Maintenance Records Periodic Maintenance Inspections iv Table of Contents (cont'd) Customer Assistance Information Section 8 Customer Satisfaction Procedures Warranty Information (See Warranty Manual) Customer Assistance Offices Reporting Safety Defects on page 8-10 Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation Service Publications Index Section 9 In the Index you will find an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. Please refer to the last page of this manual for your Service Station Guide v We support voluntary technician certification. GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem and the name ALERO are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the product after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Oldsmobile For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a Division whenever it appears in this manual. French Language Manual: Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new votre concessionaire ou au: owner can use it. DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1577 Meyerside Dr. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1B9 vi How to Use this Manual Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning CAUTION: to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and These mean there is something that could hurt controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find you or other people. that pictures and words work together to explain things quickly. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or others could be hurt. You will also find a circle Safety Warnings and Symbols with a slash through it in this book. This safety You will find a number of safety cautions in this book. symbol means “Don’t,” We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you “Don’t do this” or about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore “Don’t let this happen.” the warning. vii Vehicle Damage Warnings In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would Also in this book you will find these notices: not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid NOTICE: the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION These mean there is something that could and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. damage your vehicle. You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. viii Vehicle Symbols These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, These symbols These symbols These symbols These symbols Here are some these symbols are important have to do with are on some of are used on other symbols are used on an for you and your lamps: your controls: warning and you may see: original battery: your passengers indicator lights: whenever your vehicle is MASTER WINDSHIELD CAUTION driven: LIGHTING WIPER POSSIBLE SWITCH ENGINE FUSE INJURY COOLANT TEMP DOOR LOCK TURN PROTECT WINDSHIELD UNLOCK SIGNALS EYES BY WASHER BATTERY LIGHTER SHIELDING CHARGING PARKING SYSTEM CAUSTIC LAMPS WINDSHIELD BATTERY FASTEN HORN DEFROSTER ACID COULD SEAT BRAKE CAUSE BELTS HAZARD BURNS WARNING FLASHER REAR COOLANT SPEAKER AVOID WINDOW SPARKS OR POWER DEFOGGER FLAMES DAYTIME WINDOW RUNNING ENGINE OIL LAMPS PRESSURE FUEL SPARK OR FLAME VENTILATING COULD FAN EXPLODE AIR BAG FOG LAMPS ANTI-LOCK BATTERY BRAKES ix Service Station Guide Cooling System See Section 5 Tire Pressure For See Section 6 a More Battery Detailed Look at See Section 6 Spare Tire Pressure What's Under the Hood See Section 6 See Section 5 Hood Release See Section 6 Engine Oil Dipstick Windshield Washer See Section 6 Fluid Oil Viscosity Use unleaded gas only, See Section 6 Engine Oil 87 Octane or higher. See Section 6 See Section 6 Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts. 1- 2 Seats and Seat Controls 1- 33 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for 1- 9 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone Children and Small Adults 1- 13 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About 1- 35 Center Passenger Position Safety Belts -- and the Answers 1- 37 Children 1- 14 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly 1- 39 Child Restraints 1- 14 Driver Position 1- 50 Larger Children 1- 22 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy 1- 53 Safety Belt Extender 1- 23 Right Front Passenger Position 1- 53 Checking Your Restraint Systems 1- 23 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) 1- 53 Replacing Restraint System Parts After 1- 30 Rear Seat Passengers a Crash 1- 1-1 Seats and Seat Controls 2-Way Manual Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them -- and also about reclining seatbacks and head restraints. Manual Seats CAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Lift the bar under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place. 1-2 Power Lift Seat-Forward/Rearward Power Lift Seat-Height Controls Controls (If Equipped) (If Equipped) Move the control lever under the front of the seat to The power seat switch is located on the lower left unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it. Then side of the driver’s seat. Raise the seat by holding the release the lever and try to move the seat with your switch up. Lower the seat by holding the switch down. body to make sure the seat is locked into place. 1-3 6-Way Power Seat Controls (If Equipped) Move the seat higher by lifting and holding the bottom of the switch. Lower the seat by pushing and holding the top of the switch. To move the seat forward, push the rear of the switch forward. To move the seat backward, push the front of the switch rearward. Raise the front of the seat by lifting and holding the bottom front end of the switch. Lower the front of the seat by pushing and holding the top front end of the switch. Raise the rear of the seat by lifting and holding the bottom rear of the switch. Lower the rear of the seat by pushing and holding the top rear of the switch. The power seat switch is located on the lower, left side of the driver’s seat. This switch allows you to move the seat up, down, forward, and backward. It also moves the front of the seat up or down and the rear of the seat up or down.