oil OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA 1998 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on
an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
x
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
for
you and
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS 9
TURN
RUNNING
' 0
DAYTIME .
LAMPS **
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
CS 0b
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VEN TlLATlNG
FAN
These symbols are
used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
n
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
V
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Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help.
You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is located
on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment, behind the underhood fuse block.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated
for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How
long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in?
The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here. we ask that you contact
your retailer
in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The retailer can give
yo11 the best advice for that
particular area.
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Cargo Security Shade
You can use the cargo security shade to cover items in
the cargo area of your vehicle.
Grasp the handle and unroll the cover. Latch the posts
into the sockets
on the inside trim panel 011 the
passenger’s side
of the vehicle to secure it.
WTION:
An improperly stored cargo cover could be
thrown about the vehicle during a coIlision
or
sudden maneuver. You or others could be
injured.
If you remove the cover, always store it
outside
of the vehicle. When you put it back,
always be sure that
it is securely reattached. Cargo Tie
Downs
There
are four cargo tie
downs in the rear that allow
you
to strap cargo in and
keep it from moving inside
the vehicle.
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Engine Oil Pressure Gage
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.
A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing low
oil pressure.
I
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 your
vehicle serviced.
1 NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can
be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
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Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
Gate Ajar
GATE
AJAR
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting your engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while YOLI are driving, If it stays on, you’re liftgate is ajar. Try closing the
check your coolant temperature and engine
oil pressure liftgate again. Never drive with the liftgate even
gages
to see if they are in the warning zones.
partially open.
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Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean,
soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean it, wiping from
the center to the edge.
Be sure never- to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick
up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge
of the hole and the outer edge.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged. If the mast should ever become
slightly bent, you can straighten
it out by hand. If the
mast is badly bent, as
it might be by vandals, you should
replace
it.
Check every once in a while to be sure the mast is still
tightened to the fender.
Care of Your Compact Disc Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised. due to
the risk of contaminating the lens of the
CD optics with
lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call
it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the
hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush
of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you! If
it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill). engine
oil. axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and‘the Index will help you
find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight
,
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When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see: If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until
it cools down.
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Fan
The coolant level should be at least up to the ADD mark.
If it isn't, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in
the cooling system.
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U
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.
1 NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See if
the engine cooling fan speed increases when idle speed is
doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal down. If it
doesn’t. your vehicle needs service. Turn off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the
ADD mark. add a 50/50 mixture of clecrn
\,L*crtet- (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@ engine
coolant
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine
Coolant”
in the Index for more information.)
I A CAUTION:
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.
I
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