trailer Oldsmobile Aurora 1997 s User Guide

If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh
10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight (B). If you have a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
12 percent of
the total loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to
see if the weights are
proper.
If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the
Tire-Loading Information label at the rear edge of the
driver’s door or see “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the
Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW
limit for your vehicle, including the weight of the
trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules
to follow:
0
0 The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
Will you have to make any holes in the body
of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index).
Dirt
and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of
the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
4-35

Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try
to tap into
your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets
you check your
electrical connection at the same time. During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steenng wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
4-36

Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs,
trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. Your
vehicle may have bulb warning messages. When
you plug a trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s
lighting system, its bulb warning messages may not let
you know
if one of your lamps goes out. So, when you
have a trailer lighting system plugged in, be sure to
check your vehicle and trailer lamps from time
to time
to be sure they’re all working. Once you disconnect the
trailer lamps, the bulb warning messages again can tell
you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have
to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
4-37

But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
5. Release the regular brakes.
brake,
and then shift to PARK
(P).
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 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, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
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.
4-38

Attach a separate
safety chain around the
outboard end of each
lower control arm.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Aurora’s instrument panel. Your information center will
also display messages about engine overheating. See
“Coolant Temperature Gage” in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should a low coolant condition exist and the message
HOT STOP ENGINE is displayed, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of four
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a
loss in power and engine performance.
This operating mode allows your vehicle to be driven to
a safe place in an emergency; you may drive up to
50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the overheat
protection mode should be avoided.
I 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 indicator. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.
5-14

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious..Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign
of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open
the window as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see
if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn 0fSth.e engine and get everyone out
of the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to eet service
help right away.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
or THIRD (3).
5-16

Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your Aurora retailer is
ready to advise
if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short trip/city
maintenance schedule:
0
0
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such
as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application. Driving under
these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner.
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need
to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first. (See “Change Oil Message’’ in the Index.)
If
the CHANGE OIL NOW message appears in the Driver
Information Center, you should change your oil.
If none of them is
true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles ( 12 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a
fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
(See “Change Oil Message” in the Index.) Always reset
the engine oil life to 100% after every oil change.
6-14

Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner
off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90 OF (32 O C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
6-18

How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Aurora retail facility
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or
you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which
is 180°F to 200°F (82°C
to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have
to drive longer.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come
out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if
you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90 OF (32 O C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Park your vehicle on a level place. keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK
(P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.

Maintenance Schedule
I Short Trip/City Definition I
Follow the Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule if any
one of these conditions is true for your vehicle:
0
0
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such
as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
If the vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
One of the reasons you should follow this schedule if
you operate your vehicle under any of these conditions
is that these conditions cause engine oil to break
down sooner.
Short Trip/City Intervals
Every 3,000 Miles (5 000 km): Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or
3 months, whichever occurs first).
(or
6 months, whichever occurs first). Tire Rotation.
Every 6,000 Miles (10 000 km): Chassis Lubrication
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km): Air Cleaner Filter
Replacement. Throttle Body Bore and Valve Plates
Inspection. Fuel Tank, Cap and Lines Inspection.
Service (severe conditions only).
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km): Automatic Transaxle
Every 60,000 Miles (100 000 km): Engine Accessory
Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km): Spark Plug Wire
Every 150,000 Miles (240 000 km): Cooling System
Drive Belt
Inspection.
Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement.
Service (or every
60 months, whichever occurs first).
These intervals only summarize maintenance services.
Be sure
to follow the complete maintenance schedule on
the following pages.