Oldsmobile Alero (2004 year). Manual

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SCAN

: Press and hold either arrow for more

than two seconds until you hear a beep and SCAN
appears on the display. The tape will go to the next
selection, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next
selection. Press this button again to stop scanning.

BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a
cassette tape or CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

TP CD (TAPE): Press this button to play a cassette
tape or a CD when listening to the radio. Press TP CD
to switch between the tape and CD if both are
loaded. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside
the radio for future listening. The display will show the
TAPE and CD symbols.

(Eject): Press this button, located next to the

cassette tape slot, to eject a tape. Eject may be
activated with either the ignition or radio off. Cassettes
may be loaded with the ignition or the radio off if
this button is pressed first.

Cassette Tape Messages

If an error appears on the display, it could be for one of
the following reasons:

TIGHT TAPE: When this message is displayed, the
tape is tight and the player cannot 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.

BROKEN TAPE: If this message is displayed, the tape
is broken. Try a new tape.

WRAPPED: When this message is displayed, the tape
is wrapped around the tape head. Attempt to get the
cassette out. Try a new tape.

CLEAN PLAYR (Clean Player): This message may
also appear on the radio display to indicate that
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. For
additional information see Care of Your Cassette Tape
Player on page 3-67.

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

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Playing a CD

With the ignition on, insert a CD partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should
begin playing. The CD symbol will appear on the
display. If you want to insert a CD when the ignition is
off, first press the eject button or the RCL knob.

If you select an EQ setting for your CD, it will be
activated each time you play a CD.

If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD in the
player, it will stay in the player. When you turn on the
ignition or radio, the CD will start playing where it
stopped if it was the last selected audio source.

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

The CD player can play the smaller 8 cm single CDs
with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs
are loaded in the same manner.

If playing a CD-R the sound quality may be reduced
due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. You may experience an
increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks and/or
difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur
try a known good CD.

Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught
in the CD player.

Do not play 3 inch CDs without a standard adapter CD.

If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
later in this section.

1 REV (Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to
reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release the pushbutton to play the
passage. The display will show the elapsed time of the
track.

2 FWD (Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to
advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release the pushbutton to play the
passage. The display will show the elapsed time of the
track.

4 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear the
tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
RDM and the track number will appear on the display.
Press RDM again to turn off random play.

AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalizer): Press this button to
select the desired equalization setting while playing a
CD. The equalization will be automatically set whenever
you play a CD. See “AUTO EQ” listed previously for
more information.

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SEEK

: Press the left arrow to go to the start of

the current track if more than eight seconds have played.
Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you hold
either arrow or press it more than once, the player will
continue moving backward or forward through the CD.

SCAN

: Press and hold either arrow for more than

two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you
hear a beep. The CD will go to the next track, play for a
few seconds, then go on to the next track. Press either
arrow again to stop scanning.

RCL (Recall): Press this knob to see how long the
current track has been playing. To change the default on
the display (track or elapsed time), press the knob until
you see the display you want, then hold the knob until the
display flashes. The selected display will now be the
default. While elapsed time is showing, EL TM will appear
on the display.

BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a
cassette tape or a CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.

TP CD (Tape): Press this button to play a cassette tape
or a CD when listening to the radio. Press TP CD to
switch between the tape and CD if both are loaded. The
inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for
future listening. The display will show the TAPE and CD
symbols.

(Eject): Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may

be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs
may be loaded with the ignition or the radio off if
this button is pressed first.

CD Messages

CHECK CD: If this message appears on the display
and the CD comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:

•

It is very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the CD should play.

•

You are driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the CD should play.

•

The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.

•

The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.

•

There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.

•

The label may be caught in the CD player.

If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.

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Theft-Deterrent Feature
(RDS Radios)

THEFTLOCK

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.

Understanding Radio Reception

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.

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.

XM™ Satellite Radio Service
(48 Contiguous US States)

XM™ Satellite Radio gives you digital radio reception
from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall buildings
or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to come and go. Your radio may display
NO SIGNAL to indicate interference.

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 are not, 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 CLEAN
PLAYR 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 the tape or the tape player is at fault. If this
other cassette has no improvement in sound quality,
clean the tape player.

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For best results, use 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 dealer.

The cut tape detection feature of your cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a damaged
tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette from
being ejected, use the following steps.

1. Turn the ignition on.

2. Turn the radio off.

3. Press and hold the TP CD button for five seconds.

4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.

5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s

recommended cleaning time.

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.

After you clean the player, press and hold the eject
button for five seconds to reset the CLEAN PLAYR
indicator. The radio will display CLEANED 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 CDs

Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct
sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD 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 side without writing when
handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.

Care of Your CD Player

The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not advised,
due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics
with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.

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Backglass Antenna

Your AM-FM antenna is integrated with your rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Be sure that the
inside surface of the rear window is not scratched and
that the lines on the glass are not damaged. If the inside
surface is damaged, it could interfere with radio
reception.

Notice: Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear window
antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear
the inside rear window with sharp objects.

Notice: Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic film. The metallic film in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.

Because this antenna is built into your rear window, there
is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes and
vandals.

If you choose to add a cellular telephone to your vehicle,
and the antenna needs to be attached to the glass, be
sure that you do not damage the grid lines for the AM-FM
antenna. There is enough space between the lines to
attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering
with radio reception.

XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System (48 Contiguous US States)

Your XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof
of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice
build up for clear radio reception.

The performance of your XM system may be affected if
your sunroof is open.

Chime Level Adjustment

Chime level adjustment is only available on RDS radios.
The radio is the vehicle chime producer. The chime is
produced from the driver’s side front door speakers.
To change the volume level, press and hold
pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power
off. The chime volume level will change from the normal
level to loud, and LOUD will be displayed on the
radio. To change back to the default or normal setting,
press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The chime level
will change from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL
will be displayed. Each time the chime volume is
changed, three chimes will sound as an example of the
new volume selected. Removing the radio and not
replacing it with a factory radio or chime module will
disable vehicle chimes.

3-69

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Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle

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: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-9.

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 is 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.

Drunken Driving

Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is 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:

•

Judgment

•

Muscular Coordination

•

Vision

•

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, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.

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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 is 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 eliminate 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 someone plans to drive? It is 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:

•

The amount of alcohol consumed

•

The drinker’s body weight

•

The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking

•

The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.

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 liquors like whiskey, gin or vodka.

It is 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.

4-3

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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 will when
each has the same number of drinks.

The law in an increasing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
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 have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and
how quickly the person drinks them.

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 will be careful” is not the
right answer. What if there is 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 is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not 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.

4-4

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{

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 do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.

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 are driving on snow or ice, it is
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 Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 4-9.

4-5

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Braking

Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.

First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.

Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that
is 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 is 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 are driving, brake
normally but do not 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.

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Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)

Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.

If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on
the instrument panel will come on briefly when you
start your vehicle.

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.

Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is 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 front wheel
and at both rear wheels.

United States

Canada

4-7

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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.

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

Remember: Anti-lock does not 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 will not 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

Do not 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

At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.

If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock, your
first reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold
it down — may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can not
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it
in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.

4-8

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If you do not have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this by
pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing
pressure.

In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If you do have
anti-lock, it is different. See “Anti-Lock Brake System”
in this section.

In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.

Enhanced Traction System (ETS)

Your vehicle may have an Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) 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 reduces engine power and may
also upshift the transaxle to limit wheel spin.

This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See
Enhanced Traction System
Active Light on page 3-31.

You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.

If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. See Cruise Control
on page 3-10.

The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only
when necessary. See Automatic Transaxle Operation on
page 2-22.

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Oldsmobile Alero (2004 year). Manual - part 11