OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1994 Owners Manual

When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition key off. The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use
the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transmission should be in
P (Park) and the parking brake
released.
Don’t have your Bravada towed with
the wheels in contact with the ground.
If your vehicle is being towed with
sling-type or wheel-lift equipment,
either the front or rear wheels must be
supported on a dolly.
If towing your Bravada with a car
carrier, block supports may be required
to prevent damage to the vehicle.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
;age and the warning light about
a hot
mgine on your Oldsmobile’s instrument
)anel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
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Problems on the Road
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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.
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.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
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. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to
N (Neutral). If
you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about ten 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, push the
accelerator until the engine speed is
about twice as fast as normal idle speed.
Bring the engine speed back to normal
idle speed after two or three minutes.
Now 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.
You may decide not to lift the hood but
to get service help right away.
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down.
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I
The coolant level should be at or above
the
FULL HOT mark. If it isn’t, you
may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, start the
engine again. See if the fan speed
increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing the accelerator pedal down. If
it doesn’t, your vehicle needs service.
Turn off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above the
FULL HOT mark, add a 50/50 mixture
of
clean water (preferably distilled) and
a proper antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See
Engine Coolant in
the
Index for more information about
the proper coolant mix.)
I NOTICE: I
In cold weather, water can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core and other parts. Use the
recommended coolant.
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Problems on the Rod
148
When the coolant in the coolant
recovery tank is at or above the
FULL
HOT mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues,
there’s one more thing you can try.
You
can add the proper coolant mix directly
to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
How to Add Coolant to the
Radiator:
1. You can remove the radiator pressur(
cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to
the left until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the
pressure cap.) If you hear a hiss, wail
for that to stop.
A hiss means there i:
still some pressure left.
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2. Then keep turning the pressure cap,
but now push down as you turn
it.
Remove the pressure cap.
3. Fill the radiator with the proper mix,
up to the base of the filler neck.
I. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to
the
ADD mark.
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Problems on the Road
150
- I
5. Put the cap back on the coolant
recovery tank, but leave the radiator
pressure cap off. 6. Start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
fan.
7. By this time the coolant level inside
the radiator filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add more of the
proper
mix through the filler neck
until the level reaches the base
of the
filler neck.
8. Then replace the pressure cap. At an!
time during this procedure
if coolant
begins to
flow out of the filler neck,
reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure tht
arrows
on the pressure cap line up
like this.
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Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine
cooling fan. When the clutch is engaged,
the fan spins faster to provide more air
to cool the engine. In most everyday
driving conditions the clutch is not
engaged. This improves fuel economy
and reduces fan noise. Under heavy
vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or
high outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases when the clutch engages.
So
you may hear an increase in fan noise.
This is normal and should not be
mistaken as the transmission slipping or
making extra shifts. It is merely the
cooling system functioning properly.
The fan will slow down when additional
cooling is not required and the clutch
disengages. You may also hear this fan
noise when you start the engine. It will
go away
as the fan clutch disengages.
I Ifa Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out”
while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever
have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
will
create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering
wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane
position, then gently brake to a stop
well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a skid and may require
the same correction you’d use in a skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the
way you want the vehicle to go. It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well
off the road if possible.
If a tire goes
flat, the next section shows
how to use your jacking equipment to
change a flat tire safely.
I Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly to a
level place. Turn
on your hazard
warning flashers.
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The following steps will tell you how to
use the jack and change a tire.
If You Have an Inside-Mounted Spare
Tire:
1. Unzip the cover.
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2. Reach inside, and unscrew the wing
nut at the center
of the wheel.
Remove it and the hold-down plate
just behind the wing nut. Lift the tire
off the mounting shoe and remove
the cover.
Also remove the bolt
hooked to the ring inside the jack
storage compartment.
3. Open the jack storage compartment 4. Unscrew the wing nut and remove
by lifting the latch and removing the
the jack and wheel wrench. Proceed
cover. to step
5.
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Problems on the Road
154
If You Have a Tailgate-Mounted
Spare Tire:
1. Open the jack storage compartment
by lifting the latch and removing the
cover.
2. Unscrew the wing nut and remove
the jack and wheel wrench.
I I I
3. Outside the vehicle, make sure the
spare tire carrier arm is fully latched
to the tailgate. Unzip the tire cover
and
push it back.
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