1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 233

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 somepower brake assist. But you will use it when you brake. Once thepower 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 a little. (You may also hear a clicking noise if you leave the ignition in the RUN position for about four seconds before starting the vehicle.) This is normal. If there's a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this warning light will stay on or flash. See "Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light" in the Index.