engine overheat OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1998 User Guide

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 mixture.
I
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.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
ADD mark. start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there's one more
thing you can try.
You can add the proper coolant
mixture dire.ctly to the radiator, but
be sure the cooling
system
is cool before you do it.
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b
NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t
mix your compact spare tire or wl~eel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don‘t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known
as
“rocking” can help you get out when you‘re stuck. but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be in,jured. And,
the transmission or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 kmh) as shown
on the speedometer.
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Rear Axle What to Use
When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant and when to change it. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
How to Check Lubricant
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom of the filler pl~~g hole. Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and
Lubricants”
in the Index.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem 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
DEX-COOL@ extended life coolant.
J
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”
in
the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of 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.
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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 OIPLUZ rt:afer (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won't damage aluminum parts.
If you use this mixture,
you don't need to add anything else.
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other liquid like alcohol, 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 water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
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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 and crack the engine, radiator, heater core
and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your retailer check your cooling system.
I NOTICE: I
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.
Checking Coolant
When your engine is cold, the coolant level should be at
ADD, or a little higher. When your engine is warm, the
level
should be up to FULL HOT, or a little higher.
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Radiator Pressure Cap NOTICE:
Your radiator cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed to
prevent coolant loss and possible engine damage
from overheating. Be sure the arrows on the cap
line up with the overflow tube on the radiator
filler neck.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches
a preset temperature.
Power Steering Fluid
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Customer Assistance Information ................... 8- I
Customer Satisfaction Procedure .................... 8-2
Damage. Finish
............................... 6-5 1
Damage. Sheet Metal ............................ 6-50
Daytime Running Lamps
......................... 2-33
Dead Battery
................................... 5-3
Defects. Reporting Safety
......................... 8-8
Defensive Driving
............................... 4-2
Defogging and Defrosting
......................... 3-6
Dimensions. Vehicle
............................ 6-61
Dome Lamps .................................. 2-34
Door Locks
....................................... 2-4
Storage
..................................... 2-41
Drive
........................................ 2-18
Drive
. Autornatic Transmission .................... 2- 18
Driver Information System
....................... 2-38
Driver Position
................................. 1 - 13
Driving ........................................ 4-1
City
........................................ 4-32
Defensive
.................................... 4-2
Drunken
..................................... 4-3
Foreign Countries
.............................. 6-5
Freeway
.................................... 4-33
Guidelines
.................................. 4- IS
Hill and Mountain Roads ....................... 4-36
In a Blizzard ................................. 4-40
Night
...................................... 4-28
Off-Ro~l
................................... 4- 15
OnCurves
................................... 4-9
Rainy Conditions
............................. 4-30 Snowy
and Icy Conditions
...................... 4-38
WetRoads
.................................. 4-30
Winter
...................................... 4-38
With
a Trailer ................................ 4-49
Drunken Driving
................................ 4-3
Electrical Equipment. Adding
.................... 6-54
Electrical System
............................... 6-54
Engine
....................................... 6-10
Coolant Hearer ............................... 2-15
Coolant Level Check
.......................... 7-39
Coolant Temperature Gage
..................... 2-57
Identification
................................ 6-53
OiiLevelCheck
.............................. 7-39
Overheating
................................. 5-13
Running While Parked
......................... 2-23
Specifications
................................ 6-60
Starting
..................................... 2-14
Engine Colnpartment
Fuse Block .................. 6-57
EngineOil
.................................... 6-11
Additives
................................... 6-14
Checking
................................... 6-11
Kindtouse
................................. 6-12
Pressure Gage
................................ 2-60
Remote Filter
................................ 6-14
Used ....................................... 6-15
Whento Add
................................ 6-12
When
to Change .............................. 6-14
Exhaust. Engine ................................ 2-23
Through
Deep Standing Water
................... 4-32
Driving On Grades While Towing
a Trailer ........... 4-51
Exhaust
..................................... 2-23
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y.TP1*lr ..u.r..‘. ..+f Z+F&$
*:a ........... ........ ......................... L ..
MountainRoads ................................ 4-36
Multifunction Lever ............................. 2-26
Net. Convenience
.............................. 2-41
Neutral
....................................... 2-17
Nightvision
................................... 4-29
New Vehicle
“Break-In”
......................... 2-12
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
............. 6-60
Odometer
.................................... 2-52
Off-Road Driving
.............................. 4-15
Off-Road Recovery
............................. 4-11
Oil. Engine
.................................... 6-11
Ordering Owner and Service Publications
............ 8-10
Outside Mirrors
................................ 2-35
Overhead Console
.............................. 2-37
Overheating Engine
............................. 5-13
Owner and Service Publications.
................... 8-10
Owner Checks and Services
....................... 7-39
Paint Spotting. Chemical
........................ 6-51
Shifting Into
................................. 2-20
Shifting: Out of
............................... 2-22
Park
......................................... 2-16
Parking
v
AtNight .................................... 2-10
Brake ...................................... 2-19
Brake Mechanism Check ....................... 7-42
Lots
....................................... 2-10
On Hills with a Trailer ......................... 4-51
Over Things That Bum
........................ 2-22
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