tow OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1996 Owner's Guide

i
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascia/fog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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Rear Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 kmh), 50 miles (80 km)
You must use a towing dolly under the front wheels when
towing from the rear.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance damage will occur. Use wheel lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces coula
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install
a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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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.
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. 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 NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) 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, 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.
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If a 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, and 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 part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a
flat tire safely.
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.
ur
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire.
To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire
on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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The spare tire is stowed under the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Never remove or restow a tire frondto a stowage
position under the vehicle while the vehicle
is
supported by a jack. Always tighten the tire
fully against the underside of the vehicle when restawing.
To remove the spare, insert
the chisel end
of the wheel
wrench, on an angle, into
the hole in the rear bumper.
Be sure the chisel end of the
wheel wrench connects into
the hoist shaft. Turn the wheel wrench
counterclockwise to lower the
spare tire. Keep turning the wheel wrench
until the spare
tire can be pulled out
from under the vehicle.
When the tire has been completely lowered, tilt the
retainer at the end
of the cable and pull it through the
wheel opening. Pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
NOTICE:
To help avoid vehicle damage, do not drive the
vehicle before the cable
is restored.
Put the spare tire near the flat tire.
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6. Remove any rust or dirt
from
the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an
emergency, you can use
a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off. Never use oil
or grease on studs
or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
7. Place the spare on the wheel mounting surface.
8. Put the nuts on by hand.
Make sure the rounded
end is toward the wheel.
Tighten
each nut by
hand
until the wheel is
held against the hub.
If a nut can't be turned
by hand, use the
wheel wrench and
see your retailer as
soon as possible,
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I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transmission is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. Or, you can use your recovery hooks if
your vehicle has them.
If you do need to be towed out,
see “Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks are provided at the front
of your vehicle.
You may need to use them if you’re stuck off-road
and need
to be pulled to some place where you can
continue driving.
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A CAUTION:
The recovery hooks, when used, are under a lot of
force. Always pull the vehicle straight out. Never
pull on the hooks at
a sideways angle. The hooks
could break off and you or others could be
injured from the chain or cable snapping back.
I NOTICE:
Never use the recovery hooks to tow the vehicle.
Your vehicle could be damaged and it would not
be covered by warranty.
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Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on
properly. Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on the
hood prop.
Remove the hood prop from the slot in the hood and
return the prop to its retainer.
Then just pull the hood down firmly to close. It will latch when dropped from
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm)
without pressing on the hood.
Engine Oil.
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the
vehicle must be on level ground.
The oil dipstick is a
yellow ring.
Turn off the engine and
give the oil a few minutes
to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show
the actual level.
-
Checking Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
When to Add Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need
to add some oil. But you must use the right kind. This
part explains what kind
of oil to use. For crankcase
capacity, see “Capacities and Specifications” in
the Index.
6-9
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When to Change Engine Oil
See if any one of these is true for you:
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 'miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures.are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
You operate your vehicle
in dusty areas or
off-road frequently.
You frequently tow
a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle
is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
~~ ,. -: . 1 Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
down sooner.
If any one of these is true for your
then you need to change your oil and filter
miles
(5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
ccurs first.
f none of them is true, change the oil and filter every
ccurs first. Driving a vehicle with
a fully warmed
., (12 500 lun) or 12 months -- whichever
highway conditions causes engine oil to
. . . -, I break down slower. '.
. -. . .. .. : .. ._ . . .., ,
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don't let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer's warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment.
If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don't ever dispose of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies
of water. Instead,
recycle it by taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If ,
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil, '
ask your retailer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
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