2004 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manual - Page 86

Retained Accessory Power (RAP) Your vehicle is equipped with a Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature which will allow the radio to continue to work up to 10 minutes after the ignition is turned to OFF. Your radio will work when the ignition key is in ON or ACCESSORY. Once the key is turned from ON to OFF, the radio will continue to work up to 10 minutes or until the driver's door is opened. Manual Transaxle The shift lever should be in neutral and the parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor and start the engine. Your vehicle won't start if the clutch pedal is not all the way down - that's a safety feature. Starting Your 2.2L L4 ECOTEC™ Engine 1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your engine gets warm. Notice: Holding your key in START for longer than 15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can damage your starter motor. Wait about 15 seconds between each try to help avoid draining your battery or damaging your starter. 2. If it doesn't start, wait about 15 seconds and try again to start the engine by turning the ignition key to START. Wait about 15 seconds between each try. When your engine has run about 10 seconds to warm up, your vehicle is ready to be driven. Don't "race" your engine when it's cold. If the weather is below freezing (32°F or 0°C), let the engine run for a few minutes to warm up. Starting Your Engine Automatic Transaxle Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). Your engine won't start in any other position - that's a safety feature. To restart when you're already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Notice: Shifting into PARK (P) with the vehicle moving could damage the transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your vehicle is stopped. 2-18