engine oil Oldsmobile Aurora 1997 Owner's Manuals

Vehicle Symbols
These 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 BATTERY
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 lamps:
SIGNALS e e
TURN
WARNING
A
HAZARD
FLASHER
RUNNING
* 0
DAYTIME - a
LAMPS .**
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
VENTILATING FAN
(
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE t
COOLANT - t-
TEMP -
CHARGING BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER n
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL m

Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
A r ~UTIO: :
I- -
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
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
In very cold weather,
0 “F (- 18 O 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.
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 Aurora retailer in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The retailer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
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 110-volt AC outlet.
2-24

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 one or more of these conditions,
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.
Oil Pressure Warning Light
OIL
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine,
or come on when
you
are driving. A warning
chime and the message
LOW OIL PRESSURE may
also come on.
These indicate that oil
is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it cool. The engine could be low
on oil, or could have some other oil problem. Have it
fixed right away.
2-77

The oil light could also come on in three other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will
come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to
START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
0 Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and off. This is normal.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
d!!, 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.
2-78

Driver Information Center
The Driver Information Center (DIC) displays
information in either English or metric. When the
system
is on or off, push the OFF button down for two
seconds to change the display between English and
metric. This will also change the digital screen for the
climate control system between English and metric.
In addition to the functions described in this part, the
DIC also displays various warning messages under
appropriate conditions.
Turn on the system by pressing any button except
RESET, ENTER or
OFF- When you turn on the ignition,
the DIC will be in the mode
last displayed when the
engine was turned
off. Keep in mind that this also
applies to the
OFF mode.
To turn off messages on the DIC (except LOW OIL
PRESSURE,
LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET and the hot engine warnings), press any button on
the DIC.
0
You will need to open the cover to access the control
buttons.
To open the cover, push the button located to
the right of the cover.
To close the cover, push it down to its closed position.
2-80

Fuel Range
RANGE calculates the remaining distance you can drive
without refueling. It’s based on fuel economy and the
fuel remaining in the tank. The display will show a
reading such as:
FUEL RANGE 235 MI or FUEL RANGE 378 KM
If the range is less than SO miles (80 km), the display
will read
LOW FUEL RANGE.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel range is
an average of recent driving conditions.
As your driving
conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
Resetting fuel range causes the fuel economy data to be
updated immediately. To reset fuel range, press
RANGE, then RESET.
Average Speed
The. calculation for average speed begins when SPEED
is reset. Press SPEED to display the average speed,
such as:
AVG SPEED 56 MPH or AVG SPEED 90 KM/H
To reset the average speed, press SPEED and then RESET.
Engine
The ENG button scrolls through the following functions:
0
0
0
0
Oil pressure, such as:
OIL PRESSURE 40 PSI or OIL PRESSURE 276 kPa
Battery voltage, such as:
BATTERY 13.8 VOLTS
Transaxle fluid life, such as:
TRANS
FLUID LIFE 40%
This is an estimate of the transaxle fluid’s remaining
useful life.
It will show 100% when the system is
reset after a transaxle fluid change. It will alert you
to change your transaxle fluid on a schedule
consistent with your driving conditions.
Engine oil life, such as:
OIL LIFE 30%
This
is an estimate of the oil’s remaining useful life.
It
will show 100% when the system is reset after an
oil change.
It will alert you to change your oil on a
schedule consistent with your driving conditions.
2-82

When the remaining oil life or transaxle fluid life is low,
the system will alert you with a message:
CHANGE OIL SOON
or CHANGE TRNS
FLUID SOON
When the oil or transaxle fluid life is down to zero, you
will receive
the message:
CHANGE OIL NOW or CHANGE TRNS
FLUID NOW
To reset the OIL LIFE reminder after an oil change or
the TRNS FLUID LIFE reminder after a transaxle
fluid change:
1. With the ignition on, press the ENG button so the
OIL LIFE percentage or the TRNS LIFE percentage
is displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for five seconds. The word
RESET will appear, then OIL LIFE 100% or TRNS
FLUID 100%.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE or TRNS
FLUID yourself after each oil or transaxle fluid change.
It will not reset itself. Also, be careful not to reset the
OIL LIFE or TRNS FLUID accidentally at any time
other than when the oil or transaxle fluid has just been
changed. It can’t be reset accurately until the next oil or
transaxle fluid change. The
DIC does
not replace the need to maintain your
vehicle
as recommended in the Maintenance Schedule in
this manual.
Also, the oil change reminder will not
detect dusty conditions or engine malfunctions that may
affect the oil.
If you drive in dusty areas, change your oil
after every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or three months,
whichever occurs first, unless the DIC instructs you to
do so sooner. Also, the oil change reminder does not
measure how much oil you have in your engine.
So, be
sure to check your oil level often. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
Check Oil Level Warning
When CHECK OIL LEVEL appears, it indicates that the
engine oil level is
1 to 1 1/2 quarts (0.9 L to 1.4 L) low.
The message will appear only if the engine is running
and it’s been at least eight minutes since the engine was
last running. If the message appears, check the oil
dipstick level. If it reads low, your oil level should be
brought up
to the proper level (see “Engine Oil” in the
Index). After bringing the oil
to the proper level, the
ignition must be off for eight minutes to allow
the
majority of oil to drain into the oil pan.

Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain
you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move
to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed
is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long T_ In
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well restea. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready
to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Aurora retail facilities all across North America. They’ll
be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0
0
0
0
0
0
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?
Lumps: 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?

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