radiator cap OLDSMOBILE AURORA 2003 Owners Manual

Checking Coolant
Turning the surge tank pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids
to blow out and burn you
badly. Never turn the surge tank pressure
cap
- even a little - when the engine and
radiator are hot.
I I
~ The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the cold
level mark.
The engine coolant surge tank is located in the engine
compartment on the passenger’s side of the vehicle,
near the windshield. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page
5-74 for more information on location.
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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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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.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, check to see if
coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible
but the coolant level isn’t at or above the
FULL COLD fill
mark line (4.5 inches (1 1 cm) from the top of the filler
neck), add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant at the coolant surge tank, but be
sure the cooling system, including the coolant surge tank
Coolant on page 5-24 for more information.
If no coolant is visible in the surge tank, add coolant as
follows:
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Steam and scalding Ii ids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and
if you turn the coolant
surge tank pressure cap -- even a little -- they
can come out at high speed. Never
turn the
cap when the cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is hot. Wait
for the cooling system and coolant surge tank
pressure cap to cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
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1. Park the vehicle on a level surface. You can
remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap
when the cooling system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose,
is
no longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise (left) about one-quarter turn and
tnen stop.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop.
A hiss
means there
is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the
pressure cap slowly,
and remove
it.
3. Then fill the coolant
surge tank with the
proper mixture, to the
FULL COLD fill
mark line (4.5 inches
(1 1 cm) from the top of
the filler neck).
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4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start
the engine and let
it run until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches about
4.5 inches
(1 1 cm) from the top of the filler neck.
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrow
on the pressure cap lines up like this.
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90,000 Miles (150 000 km)
0 Inspect throttle body bore and valve plates for
deposits, open the throttle valve and inspect all
surfaces. Clean as required.
An Emission Control
Service. (See footnote
t.)
Control Service.
page
5-63 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote @.) (See footnote +.)
0 Replace engine air cleaner filter. An Emission
0 Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
97,500 Miles (162 500 km)
U Rotate tires. See Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-63 for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.
(See footnote @.) (See footnote +.)
100,000 Miles (1 66 000 km)
0 Replace spark plugs. An Emission Control Service.
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and bottom screens
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or more of
these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or
higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 If you haven’t used your vehicle under severe service
conditions listed previously and therefore, haven’t
changed your automatic transaxle fluid, change both
the fluid and filter.
150,000 Miles (240 000 km)
0 Drain, flush and refill cooling system (or every
60 months since last service, whichever occurs first).
See
Engine Coolant on page 5-24 for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser, pressure
cap and neck. Pressure test the cooling system and pressure cap.
An Emission Control Service.
U Inspect engine accessory drive belt. An Emission
Control Service.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
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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.
Throttle System Inspection
Inspect the throttle system for interference or binding,
and for damaged or missing parts. Replace parts
as needed. Replace any components that have high
effort or excessive wear.
Do not lubricate accelerator
and cruise control cables.
Brake System Inspection
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and
hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing, etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors
for surface condition. Inspect other brake parts,
including calipers, parking brake, etc. You may need to
have your brakes inspected more often
if your driving
habits or conditions result in frequent braking.
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