service Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 s User Guide

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem. With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you
turn your
ignition on or start your engine and it
will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on and the chime sounds when you’re
driving, stop as
soon as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the system.
If
the light still stays on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes,
but you don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular
brake system warning light
is also on, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light” earlier
in
this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
2-53

Low Coolant Warning Light
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
m
This light comes on briefly
when you
turn your
ignition to
ON.
If this light comes on and stays on and you hear a chime,
the vehicle should promptly be pulled off the road and
the coolant level checked.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
If there are visible
signs of steam, see “Engine Overheating” in the Index
before opening
the hood. Have your vehicle serviced as
soon as you can.

Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called
OBD 11 (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
CHECK ENGINE 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.
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.
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust or fuel system of your vehicle or the
replacement of the original tires with other than
those
of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission controls
and may cause the light to come
on.
modifications to these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty. This
may also result
in a failure to pass a required
Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.

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 malfunction 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 may be required.
0 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.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
2-56

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.
Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light
will stay on after you start
your engine,
or come on
and you will
hear a chime
when you are driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving enough
oil. The engine could be low
on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it fixed immediately.
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to
show you it is
working, but the light will
go out when the en-gine is
running. If it doesn’t come on with the ignition on,
you may have a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have
it fixed right away.
2-57

Check Oil Light
Don’t keep ariving 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.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
your warranty.
1 problems can be costly and is not covered by
/ OIL
This light will come on
briefly when you start
your vehicle.
If the light comes on and you hear a chime or stays on
after starting your vehicle, your engine oil level should
be checked.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut
off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring
it
to the proper level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTE: A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking on steep grades.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on
and engine
crank.
It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned
off for a
considerable period
of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.

Passlock Warning Light Low Washer Light
This light
will come on
briefly when you
turn the
ignition on. The light
will stay on until the
engine starts.
If the light flashes for several seconds, the passlock
system has entered a tamper mode.
If the vehicle fails to
start, see “Passlock” in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by passlock,
and you should see your retailer.
Cruise Light
CRUISE
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
LOW
WASH
The LOW WASH light will
come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition.
It will also come on, chime and stay on if the fluid
reservoir is less than one-third full.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
SERVICE
VEHICLE
SOON
This light will come on
briefly when you turn
on the ignition.
It will stay on
if it detects a problem on the vehicle, such
as a
DRL or an ALC malfunction. If this happens, see
your retailer service department as soon as possible.
2-59

Door Ajar Light
When the ignition is on, this
light will stay on until all
doors are closed and
completely latched.
You will hear a brief chime if a door
is unlatched after
the engine is started and the vehicle is not
in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N).
Fuel Gage
UN
0
E 0
0 FUELDOOR 83 D
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left, when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears empty, the light will come on and you will hear a
chime. You still have a little
fuel left, but you should get
more soon. Here are four things that
some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
0 It takes a little more or less fuel to
fill up than the
the gage reads full.
gage indicated.
For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more
or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or, I
The gage goes back to empty when you turn off
speed up.
the ignition.

When using a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette, it is normal for the cassette to eject because
your unit is equipped with a cut tape detection feature and a cleaning cassette may appear as a broken tape.
If
the cleaning cassette ejects, insert the cassette at least
three times to ensure thorough cleaning.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt
to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may
not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended.
After you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away Erom 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.
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.
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.
3-22

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 secund, 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 rearview 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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
4-22