engine overheat Oldsmobile Aurora 1998 s User Guide

If No Steam - 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.
Stop after high-speed driving.
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.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a) or
THIRD
(3).
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 ofthe 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 get service
help right away.
5-16

Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose
all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If it isn’t, the coolant level should be indicated by a
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL message on the Driver
Information Center.
If it is, you may have a leak in the
radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system,
NOTICE:
Engine damage if you keep running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see
if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine
is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
5-18

/r CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like 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 water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking”
can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire
or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible.
Don’t
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too
fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your fiont wheels.
You should turn
your traction control system off. (See “Traction Control
System”
in the Index.) Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle
is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
5-34
I
I

Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
J
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (129 “C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
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.

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won’t
damage aluminum parts. If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like 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 water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mixture, your
engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can
freeze and crack the engine, radiator, heater core
and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have
your retailer check your cooling system.
NOTICE:
~~ ~
If you use the proper coolant, you don’t have to
add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to
improve the system. These can be harmful.
6-22

Driving City
........................................ 4-20
Defensive
.................................... 4-2
Drunken
..................................... 4-3
Freeway
.................................... 4-21
InaBlizzard
................................. 4-27
IntheRain
.................................. 4-17
OnCurves
.................................. 4-11
On Grades While Towing a Trailer
............... 4-36
On Hill and Mountain Roads
.................... 4-23
On Snow
or Ice .............................. 4-26
Throughwater
............................... 4-19
WetRoads .................................. 4-17
Winter
...................................... 4-25
With a Trailer
................................ 4-35
DrunkenDriving
................................ 4-3
Night
...................................... 4-16
Elapsed Time Indicator
......................... 2-80
Electrical Equipment. Adding ........... 2.22. 3.25. 6-60
Electrical System
............................... 6-60
Electrochromic Daymight Rearview Mirror
.......... 2-48
Electronic Climate Control
........................ 3-2
Electronic Level Control
......................... 4-3 1
Engine ....................................... 6-10
Accessory Belt
............................... 6-72
Coolant
..................................... 6-21
Coolant Heater
............................... 2-23
Coolant Level Check
.......................... 7- 14
Coolant Temperature Gage
..................... 2-70
Exhaust
..................................... 2-31 Fuse Blocks
................................. 6-69
Identification
................................ 6-59
OilLevelCheck .............................. 7-14
Overheating
................................. 5-14
Running While Parked
......................... 2-32
Specifications
................................ 6-71
Starting Your
................................ 2-21
Engine Message (DIC)
........................... 2-77
EngineOil
.................................... 6-11
Adding
..................................... 6-11
Additives
................................... 6-14
Checlung
................................... 6-11
Life Monitor ................................. 2-78
Pressure Light
............................... 2-73
Used
....................................... 6-14
Whentochange
.............................. 6-14
Estimated Time
of Arrival ........................ 2-79
Exhaust, Engine
................................ 2-31
Exit Lighting
.................................. 2-46
Express-Down Window
.......................... 2-33
Fabric Cleaning
............................... 6-52
Fan Knob. Climate Control System
.................. 3-3
Filling Your Tank ................................ 6-5
Filter. Air
..................................... 6-17
Finish Care
.................................... 6-55
Finish Damage
................................. 6-57
First Gear. Automatic Transaxle
................... 2-26
Flashers. Hazard Warning
......................... 5-2
Flash-To-Pass Feature ........................... 2-37
Flat Tire. Changing
............................. 5-24
9-4

Rear Door Security ............................. 2-7
Tr~nk
...................................... 2-14
Window
.................................... 2-33
Lubricants and Fluids
............................ 7-20
Lubrication Service. Body
........................ 7- 15
Lumbar Controls
................................ 1-3
Magnasteer
M ................................ 4. 10
Maintenance. Normal Replacement Parts
............ 6-7 1
Maintenance Record ............................ 7-22
Maintenance Schedule
............................ 7- 1
Owner Checks and Services ..................... 7- 14
Periodic Maintenance Inspections
................ 7- 18
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
............. 7-20
Scheduled Maintenance Services
.................. 7-4
Maintenance. Underbody
......................... 6-57
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
...................... 2-7 1
Maxifuse/Relay Center
.......................... 6-6 1
Memory Door Locks
........................ 2.5. 2. 11
Memory Seat and Mirrors
........................ 2- 11
Methanol
...................................... 6-4
Mirrors
....................................... 2-48
Convex Outside
.............................. 2-52
Electrochromic Daymight Rearview
.............. 2-48
Heated Outside
............................... 2-52
Memory
.................................... 2-11
Parallel Park Assist
........................... 2-5 1
Power Remote Control
......................... 2-5 1
Visor Vanity. Illuminated ....................... 2-55
With Compass
............................... 2-48
Maintenance
When Trailer Towing
................. 4-37 MMT
......................................... 6-4
Mountain Roads
................................ 4-23
Multifunction Lever
............................. 2-34
Net. Convenience
.............................. 2-53
Neutral. Automatic Transaxle
..................... 2-25
New Vehicle Break-In
........................... 2-19
Nightvision
................................... 4-16
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ............. 6-71
Odometer
.................................... 2-63
Odometer. Trip
................................. 2-63
Off-Road Recovery
............................. 4-13
Oil. Engine
.................................... 6-11
Oil Life Indicator
............................... 2-78
Oil Pressure Light
.............................. 2-73
Oil Pressure Message
............................ 2-77
Overdrive. Automatic Transaxle
................... 2-26
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
....... 5-14
Overheating Engine
............................. 5-14
Owner Checks and Services
....................... 7-14
Owner Publications. Ordering
................. 8-9. 8-10
Paint Spotting. Chemical
........................ 6-57
Parallel Park Assist Mirror
........................ 2-51
Park
Automatic Transaxle
.......................... 2-24
Shifting Into
................................. 2-28
Shifting
Out of ............................... 2-30