service Oldsmobile Aurora 2001 s Owner's Guide

4-37
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
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
brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:

Start your engine;

Shift into a gear; and

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, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
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 this information before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.

5-7
9. Now connect the black
negative (
-) cable to
the good battery's
negative (
-) terminal.
Don't let the other end of the negative (
-) cable
touch anything until the next step. The other end of
the negative (
-) cable doesn't go to the dead battery.
10. If you have the 3.5L V6 engine, it goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal part on the engine of the vehicle
with the dead battery. Don't allow the red and black
handles in the jumper cable to touch each other.
If you have the 4.0L V8
engine, your vehicle has
a remote negative terminal,
marked ªGNDº, located
near the power steering
fluid reservoir. Attach
the cable to the remote
negative terminal provided.
See ªEngine Compartment Overviewº in the Index
for more information on location.
11. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
12. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.

5-9
NOTICE:
Use the proper towing equipment to avoid
damage to the bumper, fascia or fog lamp areas
of the vehicle.
With current trends in automotive styles and design,
it is essential that the correct towing equipment is used
to tow a vehicle. Your vehicle can be towed with
wheel
-lift or car-carrier equipment only.
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your vehicle towed. See ªRoadside
Assistanceº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle's instrument panel. Your driver information center
will also display messages about engine overheating.
See ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should an overheated engine condition exist and the
message HOT STOP ENGINE is displayed, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of
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.
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 ªEngine Oilº in the Index.

5-11
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. See ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº in the Index.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine 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. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
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 (D)
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, idle the engine for
three minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº listed previously
in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

5-13
A low 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.
CAUTION:
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.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
See ªOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Modeº in the Index.
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.
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.

6-
6-1
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel
6
-10 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6
-10 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-15 Engine Oil
6
-20 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-23 Automatic Transaxle Fluid
6
-26 Engine Coolant
6
-31 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-32 Brakes
6
-35 Battery
6
-37 Bulb Replacement
6
-48 Tires6
-58 Appearance Care
6
-58 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-62 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-64 Underbody Maintenance
6
-64 Chemical Paint Spotting
6
-65 GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
6
-66 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-67 Electrical System
6
-71 Removing the Rear Seat Cushion
6
-75 Replacement Bulbs
6
-76 Capacities and Specifications
6
-78 Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts

6-2
Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you'll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You'll get genuine GM parts and
GM
-trained and supported service people.
We hope you'll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you'll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service manual, see ªService
and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see ªServicing Your Air
Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See ªMaintenance Recordº in the Index.

6-3
CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.

Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.

Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
If you have the 3.5L V6 engine (VIN Code H), use
regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher.
If you have the 4.0L V8 engine (VIN Code C), use
premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or higher
for best performance. You may use middle grade or
regular unleaded gasolines, but your vehicle's
acceleration may be slightly reduced.
It is recommended that the gasoline meet specifications
which have been developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and endorsed by the
Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association for
better vehicle performance and engine protection.
Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could provide
improved driveability and emission control system
performance compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least 91
(at least 89 for middle grade and 87 for regular). If the
octane is less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise when you drive. If it's bad enough, it can damage
your engine.

6-4
If you're using fuel rated at the recommended octane or
higher and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service. But don't worry if you hear a little pinging
noise when you're accelerating or driving up a hill.
That's normal, and you don't have to buy a higher
octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It's the heavy, constant
knock that means you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog
-check test. See ªMalfunction
Indicator Lampº in the Index. If this occurs, return to your authorized Oldsmobile
dealer for diagnosis to determine the cause of failure. In
the event it is determined that the cause of the condition
is the type of fuels used, repairs may not be covered by
your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane
-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not the fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission control
system performance may be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp on your instrument panel may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized Oldsmobile dealer
for service.

6-20 What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don't let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. See
the manufacturer's warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free
-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don't ever dispose of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle it by taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If you have a problem properly disposing of your used
oil, ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner and filter are on the driver's side of
the engine compartment. See ªEngine Compartment
Overviewº in the Index for more information on location.