check engine OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1993 User Guide

Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do it:
1 . Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
apply your parking brake, and then shift to
P (Park).
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of the chocks.
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer
Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill)
engine oil, belts, cooling system, and
brake adjustment. Each
of these is
covered in this manual, and the
Index
will help you find them quickly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you
start
your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
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Your Oldsmobile has a remote positive
(+) jump starting terminal. The terminal
is in the red box on the same side
of the
engine compartment as your battery.
You should always use the remote
positive
(+) terminal instead of the
positive
(+) terminal on your battery.
To open the remote positive (+)
terminal box, pull the tab and open the
cover.
A
Using a match near a battery
can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been
hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
You don’t need to add water to the
Delco Freedom@ battery installed
in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the
right amount of fluid is there. If
it
is low, add water to take care of
that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can
bum you. Don’t get it on
you. If
you accidentally get it in your eyes
or
on your skin, flush the place
with water and get medical help
immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t
have loose or missing insulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The
vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and negative
(-) will go to negative (-) or a metal
engine part. Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or
you’ll get a short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts, too.
Fans
or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly.
Keep your hands away bm
moving parts once the engines are
running. I
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Engine Overheating (CONTI)
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.
I, rn Heater and radiator hoses, and
b other engine parts, can be
VGI~ 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
cou
be burned. Get any leak fix
before you drive the vehicle Engine damage from running your
: engine without coolant isn’t
i.: covered
by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan(s) is
running. If the engine is overheating, the
fan(s) should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
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 the Index under
Coolant for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
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Here you will find information about
the care of your Oldsmobile
. This
part begins with service and fuel
information. and then it shows how to
check important fluid and lubricant levels
. There is also technical
information about your vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care
.
Part 6
Service di Appearance Care
Service ......................................................... 216
Fuel ........................................................... 217
HoodRelease
.................................................... 221
Engineoil
...................................................... 225
Aircleaner
..................................................... 230
TransaxleFluid
.................................................. 232
Enginecoolant
.................................................. 235
Power Steering Fluid
.............................................. 238
Windshield Washer Fluid
........................................... 239
Brakes
......................................................... 240
Battery
......................................................... 242
Bulb Replacement
................................................ 243
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
................................. 245
Loading Your Vehicle
............................................. 245
Tires
.......................................................... 247
Appearancecare ................................................. 254
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................................. 262
Add-on Electrical Equipment
....................................... 263
Fuses
& Circuit Breakers ........................................... 264
Capacities
& Specifications ......................................... 269
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
............................... 271
Fluids
& Lubricants ............................................... 272
ReplacementBulbs
................................................ 273
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Underhood Light
Your underhood light will go on when
you open 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.
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.
To Check 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 lower.
I 3.1L V6: Checking Engine Oil
3800 V6: Checking Engine Oil
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3.1L V6: Checking Air Cleaner Filter
To Check or Replace:
1. Remove the large wing nut and lift
can cause a damaging engine fire. 3
And, dirt can easily get into your the
cover.
engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner in
dace when you’re driving.
3.1L V6: Replacing Air Cleaner Filter
2. Remove the air cleaner filter.
3. Be sure to install the air cleaner filter,
replace the cover and tighten the
wing
nut securely.
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Service & Appearance Care
232
3800 V6: Checking Air Cleaner Filter
To Check or Replace:
I,+ Loosen the four wing nuts.
Air Cleaner (CONT.)
3800 V6: Replacing Air Cleaner
Filter
2. Pull the top of the air cleaner toward
the front of the vehicle and remove
the air cleaner filter.
3. Be sure to install the air cleaner filter,
replace the cover and tighten the
wing nuts securely.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change:
A good time to check your automatic
transaxle fluid level is when the engine
oil is changed. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule to determine when to change
your fluid. See the
Index under
Scheduled Maintenance Services.
How to Check:
Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have this
done at an Oldsmobile dealership
Service Department. If you do it
yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a
false reading on the dipstick.
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;:-...Too much or too little fluid can
your transaxle.
Too much
that some of the fluid
out and fall on hot
..engine parts, starting a fire. Be
accurate reading if Wait
at least
30 minutes before checking
the transaxle fluid level
if you have been
driving:
When outside temperatures are above
90" F (32 " C) .
At high speed for quite awhile.
In heavy traffic-especially in hot
weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should
be at normal operating temperature,
which is 180°F to
200°F (82°C to
93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving
about
15 miles (24 km) when outside
temperatures are above
50" F (10°C). If
it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may
have to drive longer.
To Check the Fluid Level:
Park your vehicle on a level place.
Place the shift lever in P (Park) with
With your foot on the brake pedal,
the parking brake
applied.
move the shifi lever through each gear
range, pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in P (Park).
five minutes.
Let the engine run at idle for three to
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Service & Appearance Care
234
Automatic mansaxle Fluid (CONK)
Then, without shutting off the engine,
follow these steps:
1. pull out the dipstick and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three
seconds and then pull
it back out
again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and
read the lower level. The fluid level
must be
in the cross-hatched area.
4. If the fluid level is where it should
be, push the dipstick back
in all the
way.
I
3.1L V6: Checking Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
I
3800 V6: Checking Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine what kind
of transaxle fluid to
use. See the Index under Fluids &
Lubricants.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough
of the proper fluid to bring the level into
the cross-hatched area on the dipstick.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less
than a pint (0.5 L). Don’t overfill. We
recommend you use
only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-IIE, because fluids with that
label are made especially for your
automatic transaxle. Damage caused
by
fluid other than DEXRON -DE is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid
level as described under
How to Check.
When the correct fluid level is obtained,
push
the dipstick back in all the way.
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Service & Appearance Care
Engine Coolant (CONT.)
I
fmIlTIfi I I
Adding only plain water to I
L L your cooling system can be
aangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
I
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 mi
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze.
I
I’
NOTICE
If you use an improper coolant
mix, your engine could overheat
and be badly damaged. The repail
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.
I
Adding Coolant
To Check Coolant:
When your engine is cold, the coolant
level should be
at COLD, or a little
higher. When
your engine is warm, the
level should be
up to mJLL HOT, or a
little higher.
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