lock Oldsmobile Cutlass 1999 s Workshop Manual

yellowblue
4-26
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have the anti
-lock braking system, you'll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See ªAnti
-Lockº in the Index.

Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.

Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you're actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You're Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:

Turn on your hazard flashers.

yellowblue
4-27

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.

yellowblue
4-29
To tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground,
follow these steps:
1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it.
2. Turn the ignition to OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Remove the following fuses from the left side of the
instrument panel fuse block: A) Radio, B) Wiper,
H) Powertrain Control Module, K) Body Function
Control Module, Cluster. This will prevent your battery
from draining while towing. See ªInstrument Panel Fuse
Block
- Leftº in Section 6 for the location of these fuses.5. Turn the ignition to ACC.
6. Shift your transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
7. Release the parking brake.
Remember to replace the fuses once you reach your
destination. To replace a fuse:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition.
3. Replace the fuse.
NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
65 mph (105 km/h), or your vehicle could be
badly damaged.

yellowblue
4-36 Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer's recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes so you'll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly. And because you have anti
-lock brakes,
do not try to tap into your vehicle's brake system. If you
do, both systems won't work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you'll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.

yellowblue
5-16
1. You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap
when the cooling system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise (left) about two or two and
one
-half turns. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any pressure still left to be
vented out the discharge hose.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and
remove it.

yellowblue
5-19
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.
CAUTION:
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.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.

yellowblue
5-20 Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you'll need
is in the trunk. Turn the
center retainer nut on the
compact spare cover
counterclockwise to
remove it.
Lift and remove the cover. (See ªCompact Spare Tireº
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare.) You will find the jacking instructions
label on the underside of the tire cover.
Turn the wing nut
counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift off the
adapter and remove the
spare tire.
Remove the jack and jack handle from the trunk. Your
vehicle's jack and jack handle are stored in a foam tray.

yellowblue
5-24
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the ground
so there is enough room for the spare tire to fit.
6. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
7. Then take off the flat tire.
8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
CAUTION:
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.

yellowblue
5-25
CAUTION:
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.
9. Install the tire and replace the wheel nuts with the
cone end of the nuts toward the wheel. Tighten each
nut by hand or with the jack handle until the wheel is
held against the hub.
10. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.

yellowblue
6-6
The cap is behind a hinged door on the right side of your
vehicle. To open the door, insert your finger into the
finger depression next to the fuel door.
While refueling, hang the tethered cap inside the
fuel door.
To remove the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if you let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.
CAUTION:
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any ªhissº noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See ªCleaning the
Outside of Your Vehicleº in the Index.