OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1996 Owners Manual

A CAUTION:
The recovery hooks, when used, are under a lot of
force. Always pull the vehicle straight out. Never
pull on the hooks at
a sideways angle. The hooks
could break off and you or others could be
injured from the chain or cable snapping back.
I NOTICE:
Never use the recovery hooks to tow the vehicle.
Your vehicle could be damaged and it would not
be covered by warranty.
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NOTES
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1 Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
I
Here you will find information about the care of your
Oldsmobile. 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.
Service
Your Oldsmobile retailer knows your vehicle best and
wants you to be happy with
it. We hope you’ll go to
your retailer 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:
n
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Oldsmobile Service Manual.
It tells you much more about how
to service your
Oldsmobile than this manual can.
To order the proper
service manual, see “Service and Owner Publications”
in the Index.
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Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile” 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 “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
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.
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
’
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If
you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. At a minimum,
it should meet specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87.
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.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still 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.
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If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated
on the underhood tune-up 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. If this occurs, return
to your
authorized Oldsmobile retailer 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.
In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called
MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on. If this happens, return
to your
authorized Oldsmobile retailer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines are now required to
contain additives that will help prevent deposits from
forming
in your engine and fuel system, allowing your
emission control system to function properly. Therefore,
you should
not have to add anything to the fuel. In
addition, gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may
be available in your area to help clean the air. General
Motors recommends that you use these gasolines
if
they comply with the specifications described earlier.
I NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your
fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
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Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on
fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business
in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice.
Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation,
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Filling Your Tank
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Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
The fuel cap
is behind a hinged door on the driver’s
side
of your vehicle.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out
on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the
fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the
way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces
as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside of Your Oldsmobile” in the Index.
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When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you hear at least three clicks. Make sure you fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This would
allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. See
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your retailer can get one for you. If
you get
the wrong type, it may not
fit or have proper
venting, and
your fuel tank and emissions system
might be damaged.
Checking Things Under the Hood
To open the hood, first pull
the handle inside the vehicle
on
the lower driver’s side of
the instrument panel.
Then
go to the front of the vehicle and release the
secondary hood release.
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I
Lift the hood, release the hood prop from its retainer and
put the hood prop into the slot
in the hood. You may
have a lamp that comes on when you lift the hood.
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic
or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto
a hot engine.
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When you lift the hood, you’ll see these items:
A. Transmission Dipstick
B. Engine Oil
Fill
C. Brake Master Cylinder D.
Coolant Recovery Tank
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
E Power Steering Reservoir
G. Battery
H. Air Cleaner
I. Windshield Washer Fluid
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