engine oil Oldsmobile Silhouette 2002 Owner's Manuals

2-46 To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
electrical cord is located on the driver's side of the
engine compartment.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110
-volt AC outlet.
CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three
-prong
11 0
-volt AC outlet. If the cord won't reach, use a
heavy
-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don't, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.

2-97
Speedometer and Tamper
Resistant Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has been
driven, in either miles (used in the United States) or
kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper
-resistant odometer.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If the new one can be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer, then that will be done.
If it can't, then it's set at zero and a label must be put on
the driver's door to show the old mileage reading when
the new odometer was installed.
Dual Trip Odometers
In addition to the standard odometer, the cluster can also
display two separate trip odometers (designated by the
letter A or B in the display window) as well as your
vehicle's Engine Oil Life (designated by the word OIL
in the display window). The display can be toggled
between the odometer, the trip odometers and engine oil
life by quickly pressing and releasing the trip/reset
button located to the right of the temperature gage.
The display toggles once each time the trip/reset button
is pressed for less than 1.5 seconds. The display toggles
in the following sequence: Odometer
- Trip Odometer
A
- Trip Odometer B - Engine Oil Life. If the engine
oil life is left on the display, it will automatically toggle
back to the odometer after approximately 15 seconds.
Each of the two trip odometers can be used to keep track
of different trip distances (for example, the mileage of a
long trip and the mileage driven on the current tank of
fuel). The trip odometers will continue to keep track of
miles (kilometers) driven even if they are not currently
displayed. To reset the odometer to zero (0), press and
hold the trip/reset button for at least 1.5 seconds, but less
than three seconds. Only the trip odometer that is
showing in the display will be reset.

2-110 Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Message
United States Canada
This message will come on when your engine gets
too hot.
If this message comes on, it means that your engine
coolant has overheated. If you have been operating your
vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should
pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn off the
engine as soon as possible.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Low Oil Pressure Message
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a low oil pressure
warning message.
Your oil pressure message lets you know when you may
have a problem with your engine oil pressure.
When the engine is running and this message appears
on, the engine oil level may be too low. There may also
be another problem causing low oil pressure.

2-111
CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Low Engine Oil Level Message
United States Canada
If this message comes on, it means your engine is low
on oil.
You need to check the oil level right away. Have your
vehicle serviced immediately.

2-112 Change Engine Oil Message
United States Canada
If this message comes on and stays on after you start the
engine, have the oil changed.
For additional information, see ªEngine Oil, When to
Changeº in the Index. After changing the engine oil the
system must be reset. See ªHow to Reset the Change
Engine Oil Messageº in the Index.
Power Sliding Door Warning Message
United States Canada
This message will come on if the power sliding door is
not completely closed and the ignition is turned to RUN
or START.
If you shift the transaxle out of PARK (P) while the
power sliding door is open or in the process of closing,
and the power sliding door is turned off, a buzzer will
sound. This is a warning that the power sliding door is
not completely closed.

4-23
Here are some things you can check before a trip:

Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?

Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?

Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?

Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?

Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble
-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long
-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?

Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?

Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway hypnosisº?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.

Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.

If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.

4-42 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 of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and 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 system.
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.

5-9
To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles, do
the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (
-) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (
-) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
5. Return the remote positive (+) terminal cover to its
original position.
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
ªRoadside Assistanceº in the Index. If you want to
tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for recreational
purposes (such as behind a motorhome), see
ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on
your vehicle's instrument panel cluster. See ªEngine
Coolant Temperature Gageº in the Index. You also have
an engine coolant temperature warning message on your
instrument panel. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature
Warning Messageº in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle
to be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
If an overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a significant loss in power and engine
performance. The temperature gage will indicate an
overheat condition exists. Driving extended miles (km)
and/or towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life system. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.

5-12
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Radiator Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
C. Coolant Recovery Tank
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.

5-14
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
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 COLD mark, add a 50/50
mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX
-COOL

engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. See ªEngine
Coolantº in the Index for more information.
CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
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 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX
-COOL
coolant.