engine overheat OLDSMOBILE AURORA 2003 User Guide

How to Add Fluid Engine Coolant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to use. See
Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-15.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick.
1, Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
Notice: We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-Ill, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-Ill is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check,” earlier in this
section. The
cooling system 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 extended life coolant.
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 on
page
5-28.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
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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, drinkable water and
one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts.
If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need
to add anything else. Adding
a plain water
to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other
liquid such as aicohol, 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,
drinkable 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
ana crack ihe engine, raiiiaiur, bakr
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer 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.
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Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
The cooling system pressure cap is located on the
surge tank.
Notice: Your cooling system pressure cap is a
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed to
prevent coolant
loss and possible engine damage
from overheating.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. Your Driver Information
Center (DIC) will also display messages about engine
overheating. See
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage on
page 3-38.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition exists 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. Driving extended miles
(km) and/or 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 system. See “Engine
Oil” in the
Index.
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If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle
until it cools
down. Wait
until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood. If you keep driving when your engine
is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if
it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index for information on driving
to a safe place
in an emergency.
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 “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” in the Index for
information on driving to a safe place
in an
emergency.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant message,
can indicate a serious problem. See “Low Coolant
Message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-50.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant message, 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. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do
so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
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 and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can 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
“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.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
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If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
A low coolant level should be indicated by a LOW
ENGINE COOLANT message on the Driver Information
Center.
If it is, you may have a leak at the pressure
cap or
in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator,
water pump or somewhere else in the cooling system. 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 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.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode’’ in the Index for information on driving to a
safe place
in an emergency.
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1 Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the proper coolant mixture.
CAUTION: (Continued)
I I
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, drinkable water and
DEX COOL@ coolant.
Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant
IT-:-’=- e.
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
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Driver Information Center (DIC) ___ ....... 3-45
DIC Vehicle Personalization .......................... 3-52
DIC Warnings and Messages .......... ....... 3-50
At Night ..................................................... 4-16
City ........................................................... 4-21
Defensive ..................................................... 4-2
Drunken ....................................................... 4-2
Freeway ..................................................... 4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads .............................. 4-24
In Rain and on Wet Roads ........................... 4-18
Winter ........................................................ 4-26
Driving On Grades .......................................... 4-42
Driving Through Deep Standing Water ............... 4-20
Driving Through Flowing Water ...................... 4-20
Driving with a Trailer .................................... 4-40
Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
.................................... 4-28
E
Electrical System
Add-on Equipment
............................... 5-91
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ........................... 5-92
Headlamp Wiring ......................................... 5-91
Power Windows and Other Power Options ...... 5-91
Removing the Rear Seat Cushion .................. 5-95
Windshield Wiper Fuses ............................... 5-91
Emergency Trunk Release Handle ..................... 2-1 6
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
................................................... 3-42
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter
......................................... 5-21
Battery ....................................................... 5-42
Check and Service Engine Soon Light ............ 3-39
Coolant ...................................................... 5-24
Coolant Heater ............................................ 2-25
Coolant Temperature Gage ........................... 3-38
Cooling System Inspection ............................ 6-14
Engine Compartment Overview ...................... 5-14
Exhaust ..................................................... 2-33
Oil ............................................................. 5-15
Overheating ................................................ 5-28
Starting ...................................................... 2-24
Engine Compartment Fuse Block ...................... 5-92
Engine Coolant Level Check .............................. 6-9
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing .................. 4-43
Engine Oil Additives ........................................ 5-19
Engine Oil Level Check ..................................... 6-9
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance ..................... 6-5
Engine Specifications ..................................... 5-1 00
Engiishiivietric ................................................. 3-45
Entry Lighting ................................................. 3-18
Erasing HomeLink@ Buttons .............................. 2-44
Express-Down Window .................................... 2-18
Extender, Safety Belt ....................................... 1-27
Exterior Lamps ............................................... 3-14
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver .......................... 3-17
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Navigation System ...................................... 3-69
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
........... 5-101
New Vehicle
Break-In
...................................... 2-23
0
Odometer ...................................................... 3-32
Off-Road Recovery
.......................................... 4-1 3
Oil Engine
....................................................... 5-1 5
Pressure Light
............................................. 3-42
Oil Life
.......................................................... 3-48
Older Children, Restraints
................................ 1-28
Onstar@ System
........................................ 2-39
Onstar@ Personal Calling
................................. 2-40
Onstar@ Services
............................................ 2-39
Onstar@ Virtual Advisor
.................................... 2-40
Other Warning Devices
...................................... 3-5
Outlet Adjustment
............................................ 3-27
Outside Convex Mirror
............................................. 2-38
Curb View Assist Mirror
................................ 2-37
Heated Mirrors
............................................ 2-38
Power Mirrors
............................................. 2-37 Outside
Curb View Assist Mirror
........................ 3-58
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
... 5-28
Overriding Lock Delay
..................................... 2-12
Owners, Canadian
.............. ......................... II
Owner’s Information .................................... 7-10
Parade Dimming
............................................. 3-19
Park (P) Shifting Into
............................................ 2-30
Shifting Out
of .................................... 2-32
Parking Brake
........................................................ 2-29
Over Things That Burn
................................. 2-32
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle Park (P)
Mechanism Check
....................................... 6-12
Parking on Hills
.............................................. 4-42
Part
A - Scheduled Maintenance Services ............ 6-4
Part B
- Owner Checks and Services .................. 6-9
Part C
- Periodic Maintenance Inspections .......... 6-13
Part D
- Recommended Fluids and Lubricants ....... 6-15
Part E
- Maintenance Record ........................... 6-16
Passenger Temperature Control
........................ 3-27
Passing
................................................. 4-13, 4-41
PASS-Key@
Ill ................................................ 2-21
PASS-Key@
I II Operation .......... ................. 2-21
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