check engine light OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1997 Owners Manual

Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be
on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could
also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is
a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see
in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come
on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you
know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together
to let you know when
there’s a problem
with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving,
or when one of the gages shows
there [nay be
a problem, check the section that tells you what
to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Your vehicle also has
a driver information system that
works along
with the warning lights and gages. See
“Driver Information System”
in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt
light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then it
will flash for about
55
seconds. If the driver’s belt
is already buckled, neither
the tone nor the light will
come on.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells
you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes
the air bag sensors, the air bag module,
the wiring and the diagnostic module.
For more
information on the air bag system, see
“Air Bag” in
the Index.
AIR
BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and
it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may
not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. The air
bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready
to warn you if there is a problem.
Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, but
the engine is not running,
as a check
to show you it
is working.
It should go out once the engine is running. If it stays
on, or comes
on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with the charging system.
It could indicate that
you have problems with a generator drive belt, or
another electrical problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your Oldstnobile is
equipped
with a computer
which monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition and
emission control systems.
This system is called
OBD IT (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and
is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping
to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
comes on
to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is
also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work
as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on! as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a mal.function in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel‘?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not
to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will
be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use.
It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has
the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical
or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Engine Oil Pressure Gage
OIL 0-
The oil pressure gage shows
the engine oil pressure
in
psi (pounds per square inch)
when the engine is running.
Oil pressure may vary with engine speed, outside
temperature and
oil viscosity, but readings above the
low pressure zone indicate the normal operating range.
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A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing low
oil pressure.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your
oil as soon as possible and have yo1
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator Light
:::(-J 0.0
Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
You may have t.his light on
the instrument panel.
It goes on whenever the
DRL are on, the ignition is
on, the headlamp switch is
off and the parking brake
is released.
The
CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and
stays on while
you are
driving, check your coolant
temperature and engine oil
pressure gages to see
if they
are
in the warning zones.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake.
Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use
it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up,
it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that
will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This
is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
ANTI - LOCK See “Anti-Lock Brake
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Know can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little
on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you
run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less
fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold.
But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
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4. Open both hoods and locate the batteries. Find
the positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight
if‘
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the Delco Freedom@
battery installed in every new
GM vehicle. But
if a battery has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water
to take care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things
you should know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) and negative (-) will go to an unpainted
metal engine part
or a body metal surfice. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-j or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts too. And don‘t connect the negative
(-) to
negative
(-).
6. Connect the I-ed
positive
(+) cable to the
positive
(+) terminal
of the vehicle with the
dead battery.
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Lamps ........................................ 2- 31
Dome ...................................... 2-34
Front Reading
........................... 2-33, 2-36
Interior
..................................... 2-33
OnReminder
................................ 2-32
Leaving Your Vehicle
............................. 2-5
Leaving Your Vehicle with the Engine Running
....... 2-20
Liftgate
........................................ 2-8
Manual Release
............................... 2-9
Remote Release
.............................. 2-10
Lighter
....................................... 2-42
Lights
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
............ 2-56, 4-7
Brake System Warning
......................... 2-55
Check Gages
................................. 2-60
Charging
System
............................. 2-53
Daytime Running Lamps Indicator
............... 2-60
Safety Belt Reminder
...................... 1-6, 2-52
Service Engine Soon
.......................... 2-57
Loading Your Vehicle
........................... 4-42
Locking Rear Axle
.............................. 2-18
LockoutSwitch
................................ 2-24
Locks Door
........................................ 2-4
PowerDoor
.................................. 2-5
Key Lock Cylinder
Service
..................... 7-40
Rear Door Security
............................. 2-5
Steering Column Park Lock Check ............... 7-42
Loss of Control ................................ 4-14
Lubricants and Fluids
....................... 6.61. 7.45
Lubrication Service. Body
........................ 7-40
Luggagecarrier
................................ 2-41
Lumbar Controls
................................ 1-3
Maintenance Record
........................... 7-47
Maintenance Schedule
............................ 7-1
Long Trip/Highway ....................... 7.6. 7.28
Owner Checks and Services
..................... 7-39
Periodic Maintenance Inspections
................ 7-43
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
............. 7-45
Scheduled Maintenance Services
.................. 7-4
Short Trip/City
............................ 7.5. 7.7
Maintenance. Underbody
.................... 6-5 1. 7.42
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
................. 4-52
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
...................... 2-57
Manual Passenger’s Seat
.......................... 1-2
Inside Daymight Rearview
..................... 2-34
Outside
..................................... 2-34
Visor Vanity
................................. 2-43
ModeButton
.................................. 2-37
Model Reference
................................. vi
Mountain Roads
................................ 4-36
Multifunction Lever
............................. 2-25
Methanol
...................................... 6-4
Mirrors
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Rear Axle
....................................... 6-19
Door Security Locks
........................... 2-5
Safety Belt Comfort Guides
..................... 1-28
Seat Passengers
.............................. 1-24
Seats
........................................ 1-5
Towing ..................................... 5-11
Window Defogger ............................. 3-5
Window WasherIWiper
........................ 2-28
Rearview Mirror
................................ 2-34
Reclining Front Seatbacks
......................... 1-3
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
.......... 6-6 I. 7-45
Recovery
Hooks ................................ 5-32
Recovery Tank. Coolant
.......................... 5- I4
Replacement
Bulbs
...................................... 6-59
Parts
....................................... 6-60
Wheel
...................................... 6-42
Reporting Safety Defects
.......................... 8-8
Restraints Check
................................. 1-44. 7-40
Child
....................................... 1-34
Head
........................................ 1-5
Replacing Parts After a Crash ................... 1-45
Reverse
....................................... 2-16
Right Front Passenger Position
.................... 1-24
Roadside Assistance .............................. 8-5
Rocking Your Vehicle
........................... 5-32
Rotation. Tires
................................. 6-38 Safety
Belts
................................... 1-6
Adults ......................................
Safety Chains .................................. 4-48
Safety Defects
. Reporting ......................... 8-8 ... Safety Warnings and Symbols ....................... 111
Scheduled Maintenance Services .................... 7-4
Seatback. Reclining Front
......................... 1-3
Seats and Restraint Syst.ems
........................ 1-1
SecondGear ................................... 2-17
Service and Appearance Care
...................... 6-1
Service and Owner Publications
................... 8-10
Service Engine
Soon Light ....................... 2-57
Service Parts Identification Label
.................. 6-53
Service Work. Doing Your Own
.................... 6-2
9-8
.
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