fuel OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1996 Owners Manual

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I nese are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
RUNNING
* 0
DAYTIME -
LAMPS .**
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
t
LIGHTER -
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL e3
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PASS-hti
Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key
I1
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key
I1 is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
It works when you insert
or remove the key from
the ignition.
PASS-Key
I1 uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key
that matches a decoder in your vehicle.
When the PASS-Key
II system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down the vehicle’s starter an\
d
fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter won’t work and fuel won’t go to
the engine. If someone tries to
start your vehicle again or uses another key during this
time, the vehicle will not start.
This discourages someone
from randomly trying different keys with different resistor
pellets
in an attempt to make a match. The
ignition key must be clean and dry before it’s
inserted in the ignition or the engine may not start. If
the engine does not start and the SECURITY light is
on or
you get the CLEAN KEY...WAIT 3 MINUTES
message on the DIC, the key may be dirty or wet. Turn
the ignition off.
Clean and dry the key. Wait about three minutes and try
again. The SECURITY light may remain on during this
time. If the starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and dry, wait about three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuses
(see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the
Index). If the starter won’t work with the other key, your
vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle does start, the first
ignition key may be faulty.
See your Aurora retailer or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-Key
11.
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Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 “C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 IO-volt AC outlet.
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungroundea 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
110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
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 Aurora retailer in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The retailer can give
you the best advice
for that particular area.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
0 Going less than approximately 35 mph (56 km/h),
push your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator all the
way down.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
0 When going down a steep hill
between gears SECOND
(2): This position gives
you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and
on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power (but
lower fuel economy)
than SECOND (2). You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the selector
lever is put in FIRST
(l), the transaxle won’t shift into
FIRST
(1) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if
you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object.
You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK
(P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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15. Selectable Shift
The
Aurora instrument panel is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how
fast you’re going, how much fuel you’re using, and many other things you’ll need to drive safely and economically.
The main components of your instrument panel are: 1. Power Mirrors Control Switch
2. Fog Lamp Switch
3. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
4. Instrument Cluster/Gages
5. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
6. Horn
7. Windshield Wipermasher Control
8. Driver Information Center
9. Climate Controls
10. Audio System 11. Glove
Box (Trunk Security Override Switch inside)
12. Passenger Side Air Bag
13. Accessory Power Outlet
14. Gearshift Lever 16. Traction Control Button
17. Ashtray and Lighter
18. Fuel Door Release Switch
19. Trunk Release Switch
20. Steering
Wheel Touch Controls for Audio System
21. Ignition Switch 22. Driver Side Air Bag
23. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
24. Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Climate
Control System
25, Twilight Sentinel Control
26. Instrument Panel Intensity Controlflnterior Lamp Control
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Speedometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour
(km/h).
Odometer and Trip Odometer
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has been
driven in either miles (used in the United States) or
kilometers (used in Canada).
Your trip odometer tells you how far you have driven
since you last reset it. Press the trip button located next
to the trip odometer below the fuel gage.
Your Aurora has a tamper resistant odometer. If you see
silver lines between the numbers, you’ll know someone
has probably tampered with it and the numbers may not
be true.
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 it must be. But 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.
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If the coolant temperature is over 261 OF ( 127 O C), the
message HOT
... STOP ENGINE will appear. 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.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do, See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
If your coolant level is low, the message LOW ENGINE
COOLANT will appear on the Driver Information
Center. Check your coolant level as soon as possible.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Your Aurora is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called
OBD I1 (&-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada,
OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light comes on
to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often will
be indicated
by the system before any problem is apparent, which
may prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This
system is also designed
to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
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The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle: I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after
a while, your emission controls may not
work
as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine
may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition
is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service
is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still flashing, follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your retailer or
qualified service center for service.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts
of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly.
It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off. Have you recently
changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run
as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when
you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause
the light
to
turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use.
It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel
to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools
to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left. Press any button
on the Driver Information Center to
turn off the warning.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
0
0
When you have approximately 2.6 gallons (9 L) of
fuel remaining, the message LOW FUEL will be
displayed and a chime will sound. You need to get
more fuel right away.
0
0
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads
“F” (Full).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity
to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The tank is not necessarily empty when the pointer is
over the
“E” (Empty) mark. There is a reserve of up
to
1.5 gallons (5.6 L) in the tank. You should still get
more fuel as
soon as possible.
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