Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 Owner's Manuals

A. Back-up Lamp
B. Taillamp/Stoplamp
C. Rear Turn Signal Lamp
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2. Gently pull back the trunk trim. 3. Remove the three plastic wingnuts.
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p. !
4. Pull out the taillamp assembly to expose the backplate. 5. Carefully remove the backplate by p-g the four g. I
outer tabs and two inner tabs sideways away from r'
the backplate.
6. Gently wiggle the bulbs to remove them from the i
socket. Replace the bulb.
7. Reverse the steps to reassemble the rear lamp
assembly and mount to
the car. Y
Make sure' that all six tabs are securely fastened to "-
the backplate before reassembling the lamp. I
lamp so that the trunk lid doesn't contact it.
8. When securing the lamp back into place, align the
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Dome Lamp
To change, your dome lamp bulb, grasp the center front
and center rear portion
of the housing and squeeze
firmly but gently.. The housing should pop off.
If this doesn’t work, you may need to use a small
flat-head screwdriver pder the side
of the housing to
help pry it
.off.
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed
in different ways. For the proper type and
length, see “Capacities and Specifications” in the Index.
Here’s how to remove the Sheppard’s
Hook type:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arrn away from the
2. Push the release lever and slide the wiper assembly
3. Install a new blade by reversing Steps 1 and 2.
windshield.
toward the driver’s side
of the vehicle.
Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service, see
your Oldsmobile Warranty booklet for details.
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Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
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Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious mjury. Check all tires
frequently
to maintam the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
Overinflated tires are more likely
to be
cut, punctured or broken by
a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents.
If your
tread is badly worn,
or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is located on
the driver’s side rear passenger door, shows the correct
inflation pressures for
your tires when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation
is all right. It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can
get the following:
0 Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
NOTICE: (Continued)
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: ,-.. - L ’ . I. -. .. .. .. .;._ :
.>I NOTICE^: (Continued) ’
-1 if If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
.P :: you can get the following: ;$
Y Unusual wear
‘r Bad handling I$
!f 0 Rough ride
3 Needless damage from road hazards.
.:hen to Check
!Check your tires once a month or more.
h
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. ’ !Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
’ 860 .LI ..I . psi (420 Pa).
How to Check
$.
.:Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
!pressure.
You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
lsimply by looking at them. Radial tires may look properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
@e sure to put
the valve caps back on the valve
’stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out
dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to. 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your
tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement” later
in this section for
more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the myst important.
See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
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When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your
tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
[ ,A c,
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or
a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the
rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When It’s Time
for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1 -6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
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Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire's sidewall. When
you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
"MS"
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires. Mixing
tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It's
all right to drive with your compact spare,
though.
It was developed for use on your vehicle.
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels
on your vehicle.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Pedomance Criteria (PC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
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(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire ~
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends 1
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the nom due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate. ! i
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Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, fkom highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement
as measured mder controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction perfomce.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.

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Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which
all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alig1:::::Bt and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give
you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the
wheel leaks
air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
retailer
if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
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