service Oldsmobile Alero 2003 s Workshop Manual

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your Oldsmobile Warranty booklet for details.
r--
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
0 Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of
too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
4 inflated tires pose -..? same c ~ lger
I as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
I could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
~ pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
~ Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
~ impact - such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
~ Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If
I
I
your tread is badiy WBTii, or if your tires
have been damaged, replace them.
5-53

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12 500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page
5-56 and Wheel Replacement
on page
5-59 for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first rotation
is the most important. See “Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,” in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals. Don’t include the
compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown
on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and
Specifications on page
5-86.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or or parts to
which
it is fastened, can make 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
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
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get all the rust or dirt off. See “Changing a Flat
Tire”
in the Index.
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When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
5-55

When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS” (for
mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
5-56

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and
a half
(1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due
to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned
to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level
of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory
to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not needed. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
5-58

Aluminum Wheels
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After
rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean towel.
A wax
may then be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface of your vehicle. Don’t use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners,
cleaners with acid, or abrasive cleaning brushes on
them because you could damage the surface. Do not
use chrome polish on aluminum wheels.
Don’t take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicone carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes
cm also damage the surface of these whee!s.
Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with tire cleaner
Notice: When applying a tire dressing, always take
care to wipe
off any overspray or splash from all
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vehicle. Petroleum-based products may damage the
paint finish and tires.
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Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts will provide the
corrosion protection while maintaining the warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the
finish should be repaired right away. Bare metal
will corrode quickly and may develop into major repair
expense;
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials avaliable from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
5-77

Vehicle Identification
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
0 I
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label on the bottom of your spare
tire cover. It’s very helpful
if you ever need to order
parts. On this label
is:
your VIN,
the model designation,
paint information and
a list of all production options and special
equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle.
It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on
the driver‘s side. You can see it
if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
5-80

Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Schedule ...................................... 6.2
Introduction
................................................... 6.2
Your Vehicle and the Environment
.................... 6-2
Maintenance Requirements
.............................. 6-2
How This Section
is Organized ......................... 6-3
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services
........... 6-4
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
.................... 6-4
Scheduled Maintenance
................................... 6-5
Part B: Owner Checks and Services
................. 6-9
At Each Fuel Fill ............................................ 6-9
At Least Once a Month ................................... 6-9
At Least Twice a Year ................................... 6-10 At
Least Once a Year
................................... 6.10
Part C: Periodic Maintenance inspections
......... 6.13
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal inspection
............................ 6.13
Exhaust System Inspection
............................ 6.13
Fuel System Inspection
.................................. 6.14
Engine Cooling System Inspection
................... 6.14
Throttle System Inspection
............................. 6.14
Brake System inspection
................................ 6.14
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
.... 6-15
Part E: Maintenance Record
........................... 6.16
6- 1

How This Section is Organized
This maintenance schedule is divided into five parts: “Part
B: Owner Checks and Services”
tells you what
should be checked and when. It also explains what
you can easily do to help keep your vehicle
in good
“Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance Services” explains
what to have done and how often. Some of these “Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections” explains
services can be complex,
so unless you are technically important inspections that your dealer’s service
qualified and have the necessary equipment, you department or another qualified service center should
should let your dealer’s service department or another perform.
qualified service center do these jobs. condition.
“Part
D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” lists
some recommended products necessary to help
keep your vehicle properly maintained. These products,
or their equivalents, should be used whether you do
I the work yourself or have it done. I
Per- _-‘ming mainten_---ce work on a vehicle can
be dangerous.
In trying to do some jobs, you
can be seriously injured. Do your own
maintenance work only
if you have the
required know-how and the proper tools and
equipment for the job.
If you have any doubt,
have a qualified technician
do the work. “Part
E: Maintenance Record”
is a place for you to
record and keep track of the maintenance performed on
your vehicle. Keep your maintenance receipts. They
may be needed to qualify your vehicle for warranty
repairs.
If you want to get the service information, see Service
Publications Ordering information
on page 7- 10.
6-3

Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
This part contains engine oil scheduled maintenance
which explains the engine oil life system and how
it indicates when to change the engine
oil and filter.
Also, listed are scheduled maintenance services which
are
to be performed at the mileage intervals specified.
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. But we don’t know exactly how
you’ll drive it. You may drive short distances only a few
times
a week. Or you may drive long distances all
the time in very hot, dusty weather. You may use your
vehicle in making deliveries. Or you may drive it to
work, to
do errands or in many other ways.
Because of the different ways people use their vehicles,
maintenance needs may vary. You may need more
frequent checks and replacements.
So please read the
following and note how you drive.
If you have
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good condition,
see your dealer. This part tells
you the maintenance services you should
have done and when you should schedule them.
When you go to your dealer for your service needs,
you’ll know that GM-trained and supported service
people will perform the work using genuine GM parts.
The proper fluids and lubricants to use are listed in
Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses
these.
All parts should be replaced and all necessary
repairs done before you or anyone else drives the
vehicle.
This schedule is for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will find these on your vehicle’s
Tire-Loading Information label. See
Loading Your
Vehicle on page 4-34.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
use the recommended fuel. See Gasoline Octane
on page 5-5.
6-4

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(1
66 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(1
66 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be repeated at the same interval
after 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) for the life of this
vehicle.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-9
and Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections on
page
6- 13.
Footnotes
t The U.S. EfMrmmef%al Prdectim Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle's useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
,iia;ii;eiiaiic.e be ,.ec.ui.u'eu'.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page
6-14.
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life SystemTM (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This
is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
When the system has calculated that
oil life has been
diminished, it
wi!! indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE OIL light will come on. Change
your oil as soon as possible within the next two
times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system may
not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over a
year. However, your engine oil and filter must
be
must be reset. It is also important to check your oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level.
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6-5