OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1995 Owners Manual

1 NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer/odometer calibration, headlamp
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clearance,
and tire or tire chain clearance to the body and
chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
Tire Chains
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten them
as
tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them.
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage your vehicle.
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Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if
you strike a
match or get them on a
hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from a container to clean your
Oldsmobile, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s
warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
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Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too. Don’t use any
of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Oldsmobile
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Oldsmobile retailer has two GM cleaners, a
solvent-type spot lifter and a foam-type powdered
cleaner. They will clean normal spots and stains very
well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
0 Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
0 Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
0 Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
often. A soft brush may be used if stains are stubborn.
0 Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
only. If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately or it will set.
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Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
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Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
Always clean
a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following the
directions
on the container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a sponge
to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly damp paper towel
or cloth.
Dry it immediately with a blow dryer or a heat lamp.
NOTICE:
Be careful. A blow dryer or a heat lamp may
scorch the fabric.
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Wipe with a clean cloth.
Using Solvent-Type Cleaner on Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type cleaner at all.
Some spots and stains will clean off better with just
water and mild soap.
If you need to use a solvent:
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Gently scrape excess soil from the trim material with
a clean, dull knife or scraper. Use very little cleaner,
light pressure and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start at the outside of
the stain, “feathering” toward the center. Keep
changing
to a clean section of the cloth.
When you clean a stain from fabric, immediately dry
the area with a blow dryer to help prevent a cleaning
ring. (See the previous NOTICE.)
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Special Cleaning Problems
Greasy or Oily Stains
Stains caused by grease, oil, butter, margarine, shoe
polish, coffee with cream, chewing gum, cosmetic
creams, vegetable oils, wax crayon, tar and asphalt can
be removed as follows:
Carefully scrape off excess stain.
Follow the solvent-type instructions described
earlier.
0 Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and asphalt will stain if
left on
a vehicle’s seat fabric. They should be
removed as soon as possible. Be careful, because the
cleaner will dissolve them and may cause them to
spread.
Non-Greasy Stains
Stains caused by catsup, coffee (black), egg, fruit, fruit
juice, milk, soft drinks, wine, vomit, urine and blood can
be removed as follows:
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area with cool water.
0 If a stain remains, follow the foam-type instructions
described earlier.
0 If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine,
treat the area with
a waterhaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
If needed, clean lightly with solvent-type cleaner.
Combination Stains
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then clean with
If a stain remains, clean it with solvent-type cleaner.
cool
water and allow to dry.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do it more than once.
0 Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don’t get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth and
a solvent-type vinyl cleaner.
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Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap.
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isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and 90% water.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish
or shoe polish on leather.
Soiled leather should be cleaned immediately.
If dirt
is allowed to work into the finish, it can harm the
leather.
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult
to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Vacuum the carpeted area as needed, and clean as you
would any other carpet.
Cleaning the Built-In Child
Restraint Pad
The built-in child restraint pad is attached to the seat
frame with fastener strips. You can remove the pad and
hand wash it with mild soap and water.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
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Glass
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner
(GM Part No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass
cleaner will remove normal tobacco smoke and
dust films.
Don’t use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped off later. If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield, Backglass and Wiper
Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or if the wiper blade chatters when running, wax
or other material may be on the blade or windshield. Clean the outside
of the windshield with
GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon-Ami Powder@ (GM Part
No. 105001 1). The windshield is clean if beads do not
form when you rinse it with water.
Clean the blade by wiping vigorously with a cloth
soaked in full strength windshield washer solvent. Then
rinse the blade with water.
Wiper blades should be checked on a regular basis and
replaced when worn.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth at least every six
months. During very cold, damp weather more frequent
application may be required. (See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.)
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Cleaning the Outside of Your
Oldsmobile
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep
it clean by washing it often with lukewarm or cold water.
Don’t wash your vehicle
in the direct rays of the sun.
Don’t use strong soaps or chemical detergents. Use
liquid hand, dish or car washing (mild detergent) soaps.
Don’t use cleaning agents that are petroleum based, or
that contain acid or abrasives.
All cleaning agents
should be flushed promptly and not allowed to dry on
the surface, or they could stain. Dry the finish with a
soft, clean chamois or a
100% cotton towel to avoid
surface scratches and water spotting.
Before entering an automatic car wash, if your vehicle is
equipped with the optional power sliding
door, be sure
to have the enable switch
in the OFF position.
High pressure car washes may cause water to enter your
vehicle.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your
Oldsmobile by hand may be necessary to remove
residue from the paint finish.
You can get GM approved
cleaning products from your retailer. (See “Appearance
Care and Materials”
in the Index.)
Your Oldsmobile has a “basecoatklearcoat” paint finish. The
clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored basecoat.
Always use waxes and polishes that are non-abrasive and
made for a basecoatklearcoat paint finish.
NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoatklearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree
sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc. can
damage your vehicle’s finish
if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wdsh the
vehicle as soon as possible. If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
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Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout, that can take their toll over
a
period of years. You can help to keep the paint finish
looking new by keeping your Oldsmobile garaged or
covered whenever possible.
Aluminum Wheels
Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
When applying
a tire dressing always take care to wipe
off any overspray or splash from painted surfaces.
Petroleum-based products may damage the paint finish.
Your aluminum wheels have
a protective coating similar Finish Damage
to the painted surface of your vehicle. Don’t use strong Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
soaps, chemicals, chrome polish, abrasive cleaners or should be repaired right away.
abrasive cleaning brushes on them because yo~l could
damage this coating. After rinsing thoroughly,
a wax
may be applied. Minor
chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from your retailer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your retailer’s body and paint shop.
NOTICE: Underbody Maintenance
Don’t use an automatic car wash that has hard
silicon carbide cleaning brushes. These brushes
can take the protective coating
off your
underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and aluminum wheels.
removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur on the
Chemicals used
for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody. If these are not
exhaust system even though they have corrosion
protection.
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At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and other debris can collect. Dirt packed
in closed areas
of the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your retailer or an underbody car washing system can
do this for
you.
Collision Repair
Your vehicle was built with composite SMC (Sheet
Molded Compound) fiberglass body panels and molded
RIM (Reaction Injection Molded) front fenders and
bumper covers. These panels require different collision
repair procedures than metal-paneled vehicles. See your
Oldsrnobile retailer for information on collision repair.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job causes this,
Oldsmobile will repair, at no charge to the owner, the
surfaces
of new vehicles damaged by this fallout
condition within
I2 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km)
of purchase, whichever comes first.
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Appearance Care and Maintenance Materials
Weatherstrips, Stops squeaks
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