OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1997 Owners Manual

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
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.
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6-29
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6-34
6-37 Doing
Your Own Service Work
What Kind of Fuel to Use
Using Fuel
in Foreign Countries
Where to Put the Fuel and Filling
the Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Checking Your Engine Oil
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Engine Coolant
Where to Fill
the Windshield Washer Fluid
Important Brake Information
Information
on Your Vehicle’s Battery
Tips
on Vehicle Storage
Bulb Replacement Procedures
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement How and When
to Check Tire Inflation 6-39
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6-47
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6-53
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6-55 6-59
6-60
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When it is Time to Buy New Tires
Wheel Alignment
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Oldsmobile
Care
of the Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Oldsmobile
How to Clean Aluminum Wheels
Underbody Maintenance
Recommended Appearance Care Materials
Your Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
The Electrical System
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Replacement Bulb Types for Your Vehicle
Capacities and Specifications
Normal Replacement Parts
Air Conditioning Specifications
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Service
Your Oldsrnobile 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:
[AC] L
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- Bravada
than this manual can.
To order the proper service
manual, see “Service and Owner Publications”
in
the Index. Your
vehicle has an air
bag system. Before att.emptin,g 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, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
0 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.
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Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Oldsmobile
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 Oldsmobile retailer before adding equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
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
(MA) 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.
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.
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Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadlenyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his 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 retailer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States
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.
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
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Filling Your Tank
The fuel cap is behind a
hinged door
on the driver’s
side
of your vehicle.
’
I A CAUTION: I
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.
To take off the cap,
turn
it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap
has a spring in it; if you let
go of the cap too soon, it
will
spring back to the right.
I A CAUTION:
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.
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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.
When you put
the cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until
you hear a clicking sound. 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.
I I
I 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 properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp’’ in
the Index.
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.
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Then go to the front of the vehicle and release the
secondary
hood release.
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 cornes on when you lift the hood.
A CAUTION:
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. Battery
B. Coolant Recovery Tank
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
D. Automatic Transmission Dipstick G. Brake Master Cylinder
E. Engine Oil Fill H. Air Cleaner
F. Power Steering Reservoir
I. Windshield Washer Fluid
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*--
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on Checking Engine Oil
properly. Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on the
hood prop.
Remove the hood prop from the slot
in the hood and keeping the tip down, and check the level.
return the prop to its retainer. Pull
out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
’ , . . cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
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Then just pull the hood down firmly to close. It will
latch when dropped from
10 to12 inches (25 to 30 cm)
without pressing on the hood.
Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel.
In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be
on level ground.
The oil dipstick is a
yellow ring.
Turn off the engine and give
the
oil a few minutes to
drain back into the oil pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick
might not show the
actual level.
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When to Add Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need
to add some oil. But you must use the right kind. This
part explains what kind
of oil to use. For crankcase
capacity,
see “Capacities and Specifications” in
the Index.
NOTICE:
Don’t add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range, your engine could be damaged.
Just fill it enough to put the level somewhere in the
proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back
in when you’re through.
What Kind of Oil to Use
Oils recom~nended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking
for the ”Starburst” symbol. This symbol
indicates that the oil has been certified by the American
Petroleum Institute
(API). Do not use any oil which
does not carry this Starburst symbol.
If you change your own oil, be sure you use oil that has
the Starburst symbol on the front of the oil container.
If
you have your oil changed for you, be sure the oil put
into your engine is American Petroleum Institute
certified for gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle,
as shown in the following chart:
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