2004 alero repair manual

Instead, they need to use a child restraint. Air bags plus lap-shoulder belts offer outstanding protection for adults and older children, but not for young children and infants.

Page 43 For most basic types of child restraints, there are many different models available. When purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a motor vehicle.

If it is, the restraint will have a label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Page 46 How do child restraints work? A child restraint system is any device designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position children. A built-in child restraint system is a permanent part of the motor vehicle.

Page Where To Put The Restraint Where to Put the Restraint Accident statistics show that children are safer if they are restrained in the rear rather than the front seat. We, therefore, recommend that child restraints be secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a forward-facing child seat and an older child riding in a booster seat. Page 48 In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child restraints have a top strap, and that the strap be anchored.

In the United States, some child restraints also have a top strap. If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be anchored. Page 51 To assist you in locating the lower anchors for this child restraint system, each seating position with the LATCH system has a label on the seatback at each lower anchor position. The labels are located near the base of the rear outside seat positions. Find the anchors for the seating position you want to use, where the bottom of the seatback meets the back of the seat cushion.

Put the child restraint on the seat. Page 53 Tilt the latch plate to adjust the belt if needed. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly if you ever had to. Page 54 4. To tighten the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt while you push down on the child restraint.

See Top Strap on page if the child restraint has one. Page 56 4. To tighten the belt, pull its free end while you push down on the child restraint. Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag. Page 58 A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing child restraint.

If you need to secure a forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat, you will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the restraint in this position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with the child restraint. Page 59 5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor to set the lock. To tighten the belt, feed the shoulder belt back into the retractor while you push down on the child restraint.

Your vehicle has air bags — one air bag for the driver and another air bag for the right front passenger. Safety belts help keep you in position before and during a crash. In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash.

This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. There are parts of the air bag system in several places around your vehicle.

Your dealer and the service manual have information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system. A damaged restraint system may not properly protect the person using it, resulting in serious injury or even death in a crash.

To help make sure your restraint systems are working properly after a crash, have them inspected and any necessary replacements made as soon as possible. A child or others could be badly injured or even killed. They could operate the power windows or other controls or even make the vehicle move. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle with children. When a new vehicle is delivered to the dealer, the key has a key tag.

This tag has a bar-coded key code that tells your dealer how to make extra keys. This tag may be removed and kept by your dealer. This is normal for any remote keyless entry system. The interior lamps will stay on for 10 seconds or until the ignition is turned on. Page Battery Replacement Battery Replacement Under normal use, the battery in your remote keyless entry transmitter should last about four years.

When a door is locked, the handle will not open it. You increase the chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a crash if the doors are not locked. Page Power Door Locks From the inside, you can lock or unlock the door by moving the manual lever forward or rearward. Page Programmable Automatic Door Locks Programmable Automatic Door Locks Programmable automatic power door locks are intended to provide enhanced security and convenience by automatically locking and unlocking doors.

This features lets you program your power door locks to one of four different modes. To determine the current mode or to change to a different mode, do the following: 1. Page Lockout Protection The rear doors on your vehicle cannot be opened from the inside when this feature is in use.

If you want to open a rear door when the security lock is on, do the following: 1. Unlock the door from the inside. Page Leaving Your Vehicle Leaving Your Vehicle If you are leaving your vehicle, open your door and set the locks from the inside, then get out and close the door.

Trunk To unlock the trunk from the outside, insert the key and turn the trunk lock cylinder or use the remote keyless entry transmitter, if your vehicle has this feature. Page Windows Trap-Resistant Trunk Kit To help prevent a child from becoming trapped in your trunk, you can order a trap-resistant trunk kit from your dealer. In addition, each passenger door has a window switch.

Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it impossible to steal. Page Ignition Positions Ignition Positions With the key in the ignition switch, you can turn it to four different positions.

A OFF : This is the only position from which you can remove the key. Page Starting Your 2. Page Starting Your V6 Engine 3. Page 88 Engine Coolant Heater 2. Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle. Turn off the engine. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. On the 2. Page 90 Automatic Transaxle Operation Your automatic transaxle has a shift lever located on the console between the seats.

It is the best position to use when you start your engine because your vehicle can not move easily. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock control system. You have to apply your regular brake and press the shift lever button before you can shift from PARK P while the ignition key is in ON.

Page 93 Manual Transaxle Operation This is your shift pattern. The clutch must be fully pressed in when shifting a manual transaxle to ensure the transaxle is fully in gear. You could injure yourself or others. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will come on. See Brake System Warning Light on page To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down.

Your vehicle can roll. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. Do not park over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that can burn. It contains the gas carbon monoxide CO , which you can not see or smell. But if you ever have to, here are some things to know.

First, to adjust the height of the mirror, adjust the arm that connects the mirror to the windshield. Second, adjust the angle of the mirror, by moving the mirror to a position that allows you to see out of the back window. If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you could hit a vehicle on your right. To open, pull up on the lid.

Sunroof If your vehicle has this feature, the switch is located on the headliner between the sun visors. The sunroof will only operate while the ignition is in ON.

The sunroof can be opened to a vent position or it can be express-opened all of the way. Page The main components of your instrument panel are the following: A. Instrument Panel Fuse Blocks. See Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page Air Outlets. See Outlet Adjustment on page Instrument Panel Cluster. See Instrument Panel Cluster on page They also let police know you have a problem. Horn You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on your steering wheel. Tilt Wheel A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel before you drive.

Turn and Lane-Change Signals The turn signal has two upward for right and two downward for left positions. Hold it there until you complete your lane change. The lever will return by itself when you release it. Page Windshield Wiper Lever Windshield Wiper Lever Use this lever located on the right side of the steering wheel to operate the windshield wipers.

Page Cruise Control Windshield Washer To wash your windshield, push in the button at the end of the lever until the washers begin. So, do not use your cruise control on winding roads or in heavy traffic. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can cause needless wheel spinning, and you could lose control. Page Resuming a Set Speed Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off the cruise control. When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.

Using Cruise Control on Hills How well your cruise control will work on hills depends upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills. DRL can be helpful in many different driving conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short periods after dawn and before sunset.

Page Automatic Headlamp System Automatic Headlamp System When it is dark enough outside, your Automatic Headlamp System will turn on your headlamps at the normal brightness along with other lamps such as the taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the instrument panel lights.

The radio lights will also be dim. Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor on the top of the instrument panel under the defroster grill, so be sure it is not covered which will cause the system Page Interior Lamps Delayed Headlamps The delayed headlamps feature will continue to illuminate the headlamps for 20 seconds after the key is turned to OFF, then the headlamps will automatically turn off.

These lamps will fade out after about 10 seconds after all of the doors have been closed or when the ignition is turned to ON. These lamps will also go on when you press the trunk release, unlock symbol button or the horn symbol on the remote keyless entry system transmitter if equipped. Page Accessory Power Outlets Accessory Power Outlets With accessory power outlets you can plug in auxiliary electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or CB radio.

The right knob can also be used to select defog or defrost modes. Information on defogging and defrosting can be found later in this section. Page Defogging And Defrosting On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside air escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the time it takes for your vehicle to cool down. It also helps the system to operate more efficiently. For quick cool down on hot days: 1.

Page Outlet Adjustment Rear Window Defogger The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to remove fog from the rear window. An indicator light in the button will come on to let you know that the rear window defogger is activated. This can be helpful when driving through a long tunnel with poor ventilation.

Page Instrument Panel Cluster Instrument Panel Cluster Your instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. Your vehicle has this cluster or one very similar to it. Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven, in either miles used in the United States or kilometers used in Canada. Your vehicle has a tamper resistant odometer. Page Charging System Light If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.

Have your vehicle serviced right away. CAUTION: If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start your vehicle, it means the air bag system may not be working properly. Page Up-Shift Light Up-Shift Light If your manual transaxle vehicle has this feature this light comes on when you need to shift to the next higher gear. See Manual Transaxle Operation on page Driving with the brake system warning light on can lead to an accident.

If the light is still on after you have pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for service. Slippery road conditions may exist if the Enhanced Traction System active light comes on, so adjust your driving accordingly.

If this light comes on and stays on and you hear a chime, the coolant level in your vehicle is low. See Engine Coolant on page If the light is on along with an overheat warning, you may have a serious overheating problem.

Find a safe place to park your vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine. Failure to pass this inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration. Page Change Engine Oil Light When the ignition is on but the engine is not running, the light will come on as a test to show you it is working, but the light will go out when the engine is running. It will stay on, or come on and a chime will sound if it detects a problem on the vehicle, such as a Daytime Running Lamps DRL or an automatic headlamp system malfunction.

Then press and hold HR until the correct hour appears on the display. AM or PM will appear on the display for morning and evening hours. The display will show your selection.

TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations. SEEK : Press the right or the left arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there.

Page 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 The track number will appear on the display.

RCL Recall : Press this knob to see the current track number or how long the current track has been playing. Set the volume at the desired level. Each higher setting allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. The radio will scan only to stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal. Setting Preset Stations The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. Press the knob above the AUDIO button to extend it, then turn the knob to move the sound to the front and the rear speakers.

Pressing and holding the AUDIO button for at least two seconds will return all tone settings, to the middle position. These pushbuttons have factory PTY presets. To receive the traffic announcement from the tuned station, press this button. Brackets will be displayed around TRAF and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio will seek to a station that does.

The player will pull it in and the CD should begin playing. The CD symbol will appear on the display. Page 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.

You will hear a double beep and the P will blink with the preset number. Press the knob above the AUDIO button to extend it, then turn the knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. To turn alternate frequency on press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations.

Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the message will appear every three seconds. Page Playing A Cassette Tape 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.

The tape will go to the next selection, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next selection. Page Care Of Your Cds 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. 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. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up.

Page 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. There are good medical, psychological and developmental reasons for these laws. Page 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.

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.

Page Braking 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. But that is only an average. ABS is an advanced electronic braking system that will help prevent a braking skid.

Page Braking In Emergencies 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.

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. When this warning light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Page Steering 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 is important to take curves at a reasonable speed. Page Steering In Emergencies Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. 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.

For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Page Loss Of Control Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems brakes, steering and acceleration do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.

In any emergency, do not give up. Page Driving At Night If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have anti-lock, then in a braking skid where the wheels are no longer rolling , release enough pressure on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering control. Page No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.

But as we get older these differences increase. A year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. On a wet road, you can not stop, accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads.

And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. Page Driving Through Deep Standing Water 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 not, try to slow down before you hit them. Page City Driving City Driving One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals.

Page Freeway Driving Freeway Driving Mile for mile, freeways also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes or superhighways are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right.

Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.

There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.

Page If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation.

Page If You Are Caught In A Blizzard Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide.

Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged.

That will clear the area around your front wheels. Page Dinghy Towing Dinghy Towing To tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, follow these steps: 1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it. Turn the ignition switch to OFF.

Set the parking brake. Page Dolly Towing Notice: Towing your vehicle from the rear could damage it. Also, repairs would not be covered by the warranty. Never have your vehicle towed from the rear. Dolly Towing To tow your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and a dolly, do the following: 1.

This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Page Example 2 A. Vehicle Capacity Weight The Tire and Loading Information label shows the seating capacity and the total weight your vehicle can properly carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight. Page 4. The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.

In a trunk, put them as far forward as you can. Try to spread the weight evenly. In it are many time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.

Many of these are important for your safety and that of your passengers. So please read this section carefully before you pull a trailer. Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder against the drag of the added weight. Before setting out for the open road, you will want to get to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as responsive as your vehicle is by itself.

Check with your dealer. Let up on the brake pedal. Page Section 5 Appearance Care Page Service Service Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to be happy with it. We hope you will go to your dealer for all your service needs. You will get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and supported service people. We hope you will want to keep your GM vehicle all GM. If you use the wrong fasteners, parts can later break or fall off. You could be hurt. Page Fuels In Foreign Countries Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl MMT ; ask the attendant where you buy gasoline whether the fuel contains MMT.

General Motors does not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and the performance of the emission control system may be affected. It's a stupid rule in our opinion, but they authorize our manuals and that's what their lawyers require. Here are some of the comments we have received from users of RepairSurge. These customers have agreed to allow us to publicly display their testimonials.

We know buying anything online is a risk. Once again, we wish we could just show you the entire manual before you buy, but our publishing agreement with the auto manufacturers prevents this.

We'll get you the repair information you need, every time, or your money back. Manufacturer: Oldsmobile. Model: Alero. Production Year: Step by Step Instructions. Comprehensive Diagrams. Diagnostic Procedures. Wiring Diagrams. Here is what you'll get. Step-by-step factory recommended repair instructions. Unlimited access to personal support reps who are always available to assist you.

We can answer your questions about using the software or help you find the specific information you need for your Oldsmobile Alero.