suspension Oldsmobile Aurora 1998 Owner's Manuals

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A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks.
They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to
OFF. The steering wheel should be clamped in
a straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels, unless
you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure
to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
5-10

Front Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or carcarrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
5-11

Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has the composite headlamp system. These
headlamps have horizontal and vertical aim indicators.
The aim has been pre-set at the factory and should need
no further adjustment.
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident and the
headlamp aim seems to be affected, see your retailer.
Headlamps on damaged vehicles may require
recalibration of the horizontal aim by your retailer.
To check the aim, the vehicle should be properly
prepared as follows:
0
0
0
0
The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface.
If necessary, pads may be used on an
uneven surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to
it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
There should not be any cargo or loading
of the
vehicle, except
it should have a full tank of gas and
one person or
160 lbs. (75 kg) on the driver’s seat.
0 Tires should be properly inflated.
Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspension.
~
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before beginning. Failure to follow these instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
For the vertical adjustment, state inspection stations
generally will allow a reading of plus
0.76 degrees or
minus 0.76 degrees from the center of the bubble.
It is recommended that the upper limit
not exceed plus
0.4 degrees from the center of the bubble. Other drivers
may flash their high beams at you if your adjustment is
much above plus
0.4 degrees.
6-36

Maintenance Schedule
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) should be performed after 100,000 miles
(166
000 km) at the same intervals. The services shown
at 150,000 miles (240
000 km) should be performed at
the same interval after 150,000
miles (240 000 km).
See “Owner Checks and Services’’ and “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections” following.
Footnotes
f‘ The U.S. Environmental Protection 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 maintenance
be recorded.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation.
See “Brake System Inspection” under “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections” in Part
C of this schedule.
# Lubricate the suspension and steering linkage,
transaxle shift linkage, parking brake cable guides
and underbody contact points and linkage.
* Your vehicle has an Engine Oil Life Monitor. This
monitor will show you when to change the engine oil
and filter
-- usually between 3,000 miles (5 000 km)
and 7,500 miles (12 500 km) since your last oil change.
Under severe conditions, the indicator may come on
before
3,000 miles (5 000 km). Never drive your vehicle
more than 7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months
without an oil and filter change.
The system won’t detect dust in the oil.
So if you drive
in
a dusty area, be sure to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or sooner if the CHANGE
OIL SOON message appears. Remember to reset the
Oil Life Monitor when the oil has been changed. For
more information, see “Engine Oil Life Monitor” in
the Index.
7-5

Part C: Periodic
Maintenance Inspections
Listed below are inspections and services which should
be performed at least twice a year (for instance, each
spring and fall). You should let your retailer’s service
department or other qualified service center do these
jobs. Make sure any necessary repairs are completed
at once.
Proper procedures to perform these services may be
found
in a service manual. See “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive
Axle Boot and Seal Inspection
Inspect the front and rear suspension and steering
system for damaged, loose or missing parts, signs of
wear or lack of lubrication. Inspect the power steering
lines and hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks,
cracks, chafing, etc. Clean and then inspect the drive
axle boot seals for damage, tears or leakage. Replace
seals if necessary.
Exhaust System Inspection
Inspect the complete exhaust system. Inspect the body
near the exhaust system. Look for broken, damaged,
missing or out-of-position parts as well as open seams,
holes, loose connections or other conditions which
could cause a heat build-up in the floor pan or could let
exhaust fumes into the vehicle. See “Engine Exhaust”
in the Index.
Engine Cooling System Inspection
Inspect the hoses and have them replaced if they are
cracked, swollen or deteriorated. Inspect all pipes,
fittings and clamps; replace as needed. Clean the
outside of the radiator and air conditioning condenser.
To help ensure proper operation, a pressure test of the
cooling system and pressure cap is recommended at
least once a year.
7-18

1998 OLDSMOBILE SERVICE PUBLICATIONS ORDERING INFORMATION
The following publications covering the operation and servicing of your vehicle can be purchased by filling out
the Service Publication Order Form in this book and mailing it in with your check, money order,
or credit card information to Helm, Incorporated (address below.)
CURRENT PUBLICATIONS FOR 1998 OLDSMOBILE
SERVICE MANUALS
Service Manuals have the diagnosis and repair information
on engines, transmission, axle, suspension, brakes,
electrical, steering, body, etc. RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$90.00
TRANSMISSION, TRANSAXLE, TRANSFER CASE UNIT REPAIR MANUAL
This manual provides information on unit repair service
procedures, adjustments and specifications for the
1998 GM transmissions, transaxles and transfer cases.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$40.00
SERVICE BULLETINS
Service Bulletins give technical service information needed
to knowledgeably service General Motors cars and trucks.
Each bulletin contains instructions to assist in the
diagnosis and service of your vehicle.
PLEASE COMPLETE THE ORDER FORM SHOWN ON
THE FOLLOWING PAGE AND MAIL TO:
Helm, Incorporated PO. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207
OWNER’S INFORMATION
Owner publications are written directly for Owners and
intended to provide basic operational information about the
vehicle. The owner’s manual will include the Maintenance
Schedule for all models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio, Owner’s Manual and
Warranty Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $1
5.00
Without Portfolio: Owner’s Manual only. RETAIL SELL PRICE: $10.00
CURRENT & PAST MODEL ORDER FORMS
Service Publications are available for current and past
model GM vehicles.
To request an order form, please
specify year and model name of the vehicle.
OR ORDER TOLL FREE: 1-800-782-4356
Monday-Friday 8:OO AM - 6:OO PM Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover)

Exhaust Systems ............................. 7- 18
Front-Wheel-Drive Axle Boot and Seal
........... 7- 18
Steering
.................................... 7-18
Suspension
.................................. 7-18
Throttle System
.............................. 7- 19
InstrumentPanel ............................... 2-60
Brightness Control
............................ 2-45
Cleaning
.................................... 6-53
Cluster
..................................... 2-62
FuseBlock
.................................. 6-62
Interior Lamps
................................. 2-45
Bulb Replacement
............................ 6-42
.................................... J ack. Tire 5-26
Jump Starting
................................... 5-3
Key Lock Cylinders Service ..................... 7-15
Key Reminder Warning .......................... 2-21
Keyless Entry
................................... 2-9
Keys
.......................................... 2-2
Labels Certification
................................. 4-30
Service Parts Identification
..................... 6-59
Tire-Loading Information
...................... 4-29
Vehicle Identification Number
................... 6-59
Lamps
........................................ 2-42
Cornering
................................... 2-44
Courtesy
.................................... 2-45
Interior
..................................... 2-45 OnReminder
................................ 2-36
Panel
....................................... 2-45
Leaving Your Vehicle
............................. 2-9
Level Control. Electronic
......................... 4-31
Light Sensor. Twilight Sentinel
.................... 2-44
Lighter ....................................... 2-54
Lights Air Bag Readiness
....................... 1-22. 2-65
Battery Warning
.............................. 2-66
Brake System Warning
......................... 2-66
Engine Oil Pressure Light
...................... 2-73
Interior
..................................... 2-45
Parking Brake Indicator
........................ 2-67
Safety Belt Reminder
...................... 1.8. 2.65
Service Engine Soon
.......................... 2-71
Traction Active
................................ 4-9
Traction Control System Active
.............. 2.69. 4.9
Traction Off Warning
........................... 4-9
Loading Your Vehicle
........................... 4-29
Anti-Lockout Feature
.......................... 2-9
Automatic Door
............................... 2-5
Cylinders ................................... 7-15
DelayedLocking .............................. 2-6
Door
........................................ 2-4
Ignition Transaxle Lock Check
.................. 7-17
Key Lock Cylinder Service
..................... 7-15
Memory Door ............................ 2.5. 2.11
PowerDoor
.................................. 2-5
Leaving Your Vehicle with the Engine Running ....... 2-29
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
............ 2.68. 4.7
Traction Control System Warning
............ 2.68. 4.9
Locks
......................................... 2-4