Oldsmobile Alero 2002 Owner's Manuals

5-13
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
Surge Tank
NOTICE:
This vehicle has a specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure could cause your
engine to overheat and be severely damaged.
If you haven't found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
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
coolant at the coolant surge tank, but be
sure the cooling system, including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is cool before you do it. See ªEngine
Coolantº in the Index for more information.

5-14
If no coolant is visible in the surge tank, add coolant as
follows:
CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you turn the coolant surge
tank pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come
out at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system
and coolant surge tank pressure cap to cool if you
ever have to turn the pressure cap.

5-15
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.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. So
use the recommended coolant.
CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.

5-16
1. Park the vehicle on
a level surface.
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.

5-17
3. Then fill the coolant surge tank with the proper
mixture, to the hash mark on the label. Wait about
five minutes, then check to see if the level is below
the hash mark. If the level is below the hash mark,
add additional coolant to bring the level up to the
hash mark. Repeat this procedure until the level
remains constant at the hash mark for at least
five minutes.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fans.By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower. If the level is lower than
the FULL COLD mark, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank until the level
reaches the FULL COLD mark.
5. Then replace the
pressure cap. Be
sure the pressure
cap is hand
-tight
and fully seated.
See your dealer, if necessary.

5-18
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº 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 ªblowout,º 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.
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 an automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
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.

5-19
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you'll
need is in the trunk.
1. Pull the carpeting from the floor of the trunk.
Turn the center retainer nut on the compact spare
tire cover counterclockwise to remove it.
2. Lift and remove the cover.

5-20
3. Turn the wing nut
counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift off
the spacer and remove
the compact spare tire.
See ªCompact Spare
Tireº later in this section
for more information
about the compact spare.
4. Remove the jack and wheel wrench from the trunk.
Your vehicle's jack and wheel wrench are stored in a
foam tray. Remove the band around the jack.
The tools you'll be using include the jack (A) and wheel
wrench (B).

5-21 Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel cover or
hubcap that has a plastic wheel nut cap, then loosen
the plastic nut caps (you may need to use the wheel
wrench to loosen them). Do not pry off wheel covers
or center caps that have plastic wheel nut caps.
2. Remove the wheel cover or center cap.
3. If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel cover or
hubcap without plastic wheel nut caps, gently pry on
the edge of the plastic wheel trim to remove it from
the wheel to find the wheel nuts.
4. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don't remove them yet.

5-22
5. Position the jack and raise the jack head until it fits
firmly into the notch in the vehicle's frame nearest
the flat tire. Put the compact spare tire near you.
CAUTION:
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
CAUTION:
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising
the vehicle.