engine overheat CADILLAC DEVILLE 1997 7.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5-4 Other Warning Devices
5-4 Jump Starting
5-9 Towing
Your Vehicle
5- 15 Engine Overheating 5-25
5-25
5-35
5-36 If
a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Attach a separate safety chain around the end of each
axle inboard
of the spring.
Engine Overheating
You will find an ENGINE COOLANT HOT-IDLE
ENGINE message or a STOP ENGINE ENGINE
OVERHEATED message on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). There is also an engine temperature
warning light and/or gage on the instrument panel. See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light” or
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should a low coolant condition exist and the message
STOP ENGINE ENGINE OVERHEATED is displayed,
an overheat protection mode which alternates firing
groups
of four cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode, you will notice a loss in power and engine
performance. This operating mode allows your vehicle
to be driven to a safe place in
an emergency; you may
drive up to
50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the
overheat protection mode should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to
avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will
be severely degraded. Repair
the cause
of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life indicator. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.
. 5-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tf Steam Is Comz-.g From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from
it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until
it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign
af steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine
is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode”
in the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Dial temperature control to the highest heat setting
and open the window, as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- OVERDFUVE (a) or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see
if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If it isn’t, the coolant level should be indicated by a
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL message on the Driver
Information Center. If it is, you may have a leak in the
radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system. Heater and radiator
hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there
is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
ICE:
Engine damage if you keep running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index.
If there
seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fans are running.
If the engine
is overheating, both fans should be running. If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
5-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ‘I, .b : .H
I A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and DEX-COOL@coolant.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic
car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t
mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels
or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 kmh) as shown
on the speedometer.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Reset Transaxle Fluid
Change Indicator
Your vehicle is equipped with a transaxle fluid change
indicator.
A CHANGE TRANS FLUID message will
display
on the Driver Information Center (DIC) when
the powertrain computer determines
that the transaxle
fluid needs to be changed or at each
100,000 miles
(160 000 km) interval, whichever occurs first. When
this message appears, change the transaxle fluid and
reset
the transaxle fluid life indicator as follows:
1. Turn the ignition on but do not start the engine.
2. Press and hold the OFF and rear defog buttons on the
climate control at the same time until the
TRANS
FLUID RESET message appears on the DIC.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain
in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
J
A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
NOTICE: ~ ~~ ~ -
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the use
of coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won’t damage aluminum
parts. If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper coolant
mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
I NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mix, your engine
could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mix can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
I NOTICE:
If you use the proper coolant, you don’t have to
add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to
improve the system. These can be harmful.
6-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture at the surge tank, but only when the
engine is cool.
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol,
and it
will burn if'the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on
a hot engine.
When replacing the pressure cap, make sure it
is tight.
Surge Tank Pressure Cap
1 NOTICE:
The surge tank cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed to
prevent coolant loss and possible engine damage
from overheating. Be sure the arrows on the cap
line up.
If the surge tank pressure cap needs to be replaced, a
General Motors cap
is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches a preset temperature.
If your thermostat needs to be replaced, a General
Motors thermostat
is recommended.
6-24